Abstract: Apparatus suitable for solids-fluid separation comprising upwardly directed feed inlet means of which the upper part cooperates substantially with a housing comprising at least a domed upper section, at least one fluid outlet means which is in fluid communication with a central section of the housing, and downwardly directed solids outlet means in communication with at least one solids outlet opening in a lower section of the housing, wherein at least one fluid directing means is mounted on the inner surface of the housing and encircles the fluid outlet means. The invention further relates to an improved catalytic cracking reactor comprising the above apparatus, and to a process for separating fluid catalytic cracking catalyst particles from hydrocarbon conversion products using the above apparatus.

Abstract: Finely divided solids suspended in liquids (such as aqueous slurries of coal fines) are agglomerated by flowing those suspensions and a binding agent into a turbulent-flow agglomeration zone along with a slurry of seed pellets having sizes and proportions correlated with those of the finely divided solids and the agglomerates being formed to induce particle growth by layering rather than by coalescence.