Abstract: Carbon and catalyst containing chars obtained from a catalytic coal gasification or combustion operation may be separated into two layers of fractions by contacting them with an inert gas so as to fluidize them and thereby separately recover fractions of carbon-rich chars and fractions of carbon-poor chars, and collecting the separate fractions. The carbon-rich chars may then be recycled to the gasifier to be gasified, and the carbon-poor chars may be treated to recover the catalyst. Larger catalyst containing chars may be effectively separated in the presence of a host medium of a bed of solids fluidized by the inert gas. Smaller chars may be separated in the absence of such a host medium.