Process for regeneration of carbonaceous adsorbent for use in desulfurization of exhaust gas

A process for regenerating spent carbonaceous adsorbent particles which have been used to effect dry desulfurization of a sulfur oxide-containing exhaust gas so that said spent carbonaceous adsorbent particles contain adsorbed sulfur oxide material, which comprises the steps of:

• mixing said spent carbonaceous adsorbent particles with an inert purging gas to form a first mixture of said spent carbonaceous adsorbent particles and said inert purging gas;
• then feeding said first mixture downwardly through a heating zone and therein heating said first mixture by indirect heat exchange with a heating gas to a regeneration temperature effective to desorb said sulfur oxide material from said carbonaceous adsorbent particles whereby to regenerate said carbonaceous adsorbent particles and to transfer the desorbed sulfur oxide material into said inert purging gas to form a second mixture of said regenerated carbonaceous adsorbent particles, said desorbed sulfur oxide material and said inert purging gas;
• then feeding said second mixture downwardly into a separating zone and therein removing a third mixture of said desorbed sulfur oxide material and said inert purging gas from the upper portion of said separating zone and separately removing said regenerated carbonaceous adsorbent particles from the lower portion of said separating zone.