An apparatus for producing solid carbon by catalytically reducing carbon oxides using a reducing agent, comprising: a reactor configured to receive a dried recycle gas, a fresh feed gas comprising at least one carbon oxide, and at least one reducing agent, the reactor comprising: at least one mixing means configured to mix the dried recycle gas, the fresh feed gas, and the at least one reducing agent to form a combined feed gas; at least one heat exchanger configured to heat the combined feed gas to a first temperature by recovering heat from at least one other higher-temperature process stream of the apparatus; at least one heater configured to further heat the combined feed gas to a second temperature higher than the first temperature; a reaction vessel configured to receive the heated combined feed gas, the reaction vessel further configured to maintain predetermined reaction conditions of temperature and pressure and to contain a catalyst; at least one discharge of raw tail gas comprising unreacted gases, reaction product gases, entrained solid carbon, and water; and at least one control system feedback loop configured to monitor and control a reaction temperature in the reaction vessel and the at least one heater; and a product separator configured to receive the raw tail gas from the reaction vessel and to separate the raw tail gas into a clean tail gas and a products stream comprising solid carbon, wherein the product separator is configured to pass the products stream through a cooling heat exchanger lock drum, wherein the product separator comprises a watergas conversion reactor configured to oxidize solid carbon to a carbon oxide and hydrogen by addition of water; a water separation unit configured to receive the clean tail gas from the product separator and to remove at least a portion of the water in the clean tail gas to form a dried recycle gas, the water separation unit comprising: a first condenser configured to receive the clean tail gas and to cool the clean tail gas to condense water from the clean tail gas; and a water discharge system for removing the water from the apparatus; and a product receiving unit configured to receive the products stream from the cooling heat exchanger lock drum. a reactor configured to receive a dried recycle gas, a fresh feed gas comprising at least one carbon oxide, and at least one reducing agent, the reactor comprising: at least one mixing means configured to mix the dried recycle gas, the fresh feed gas, and the at least one reducing agent to form a combined feed gas; at least one heat exchanger configured to heat the combined feed gas to a first temperature by recovering heat from at least one other higher-temperature process stream of the apparatus; at least one heater configured to further heat the combined feed gas to a second temperature higher than the first temperature; a reaction vessel configured to receive the heated combined feed gas, the reaction vessel further configured to maintain predetermined reaction conditions of temperature and pressure and to contain a catalyst; at least one discharge of raw tail gas comprising unreacted gases, reaction product gases, entrained solid carbon, and water; and at least one control system feedback loop configured to monitor and control a reaction temperature in the reaction vessel and the at least one heater; and at least one mixing means configured to mix the dried recycle gas, the fresh feed gas, and the at least one reducing agent to form a combined feed gas; at least one heat exchanger configured to heat the combined feed gas to a first temperature by recovering heat from at least one other higher-temperature process stream of the apparatus; at least one heater configured to further heat the combined feed gas to a second temperature higher than the first temperature; a reaction vessel configured to receive the heated combined feed gas, the reaction vessel further configured to maintain predetermined reaction conditions of temperature and pressure and to contain a catalyst; at least one discharge of raw tail gas comprising unreacted gases, reaction product gases, entrained solid carbon, and water; and at least one control system feedback loop configured to monitor and control a reaction temperature in the reaction vessel and the at least one heater; and a product separator configured to receive the raw tail gas from the reaction vessel and to separate the raw tail gas into a clean tail gas and a products stream comprising solid carbon, wherein the product separator is configured to pass the products stream through a cooling heat exchanger lock drum, wherein the product separator comprises a watergas conversion reactor configured to oxidize solid carbon to a carbon oxide and hydrogen by addition of water; a water separation unit configured to receive the clean tail gas from the product separator and to remove at least a portion of the water in the clean tail gas to form a dried recycle gas, the water separation unit comprising: a first condenser configured to receive the clean tail gas and to cool the clean tail gas to condense water from the clean tail gas; and a water discharge system for removing the water from the apparatus; and a first condenser configured to receive the clean tail gas and to cool the clean tail gas to condense water from the clean tail gas; and a water discharge system for removing the water from the apparatus; and a product receiving unit configured to receive the products stream from the cooling heat exchanger lock drum.