Patent ID: 7341656

Claim:
A process for promoting oxidation and thermal reaction of hydrocarbon materials and for removing volatile components therefrom which comprises: a) directly contacting at least one stream of the hydrocarbon materials with a heated stream of a gaseous mixture comprising steam and at least one reaction gas selected from the group comprising oxygen, air or hydrogen, under temperature, contact times, and superficial velocity conditions sufficient i) to at least partially oxidize the hydrocarbon materials, and ii) to provide a desired volume of at least partially oxidized liquid product in at least one suitable disengaging vessel, and a remaining volume of volatile overhead product and steam; b) condensing the volatile overhead product in at least one stage; c) recovering at least part of the volatile overhead product as distillate; d) condensing the steam in a second stage, and e) recovering a bottoms fraction containing the at least partially oxidized liquid products; wherein the contacting of the hydrocarbon stream and the gaseous mixture stream is carried out in at least one atomizing nozzle; wherein the at least one atomizing nozzle further comprises a first opening, an annular opening coaxially surrounding the first opening and a mixing channel wherein the first opening and the annular opening terminate in the mixing channel; wherein the hydrocarbon stream passes through the first opening into the mixing channel; wherein the gaseous mixture stream passes through annular opening coaxially surrounding the first opening into the mixing channel; and wherein the gaseous mixture coaxially surrounds the hydrocarbon stream in the mixing channel.