Soot filter cake disposal

A method for the recovery and reuse of unreacted carbon soot produced by the partial oxidation reaction of a hydrocarbonaceous fuel and oxygen in a partial oxidation reactor to produce an effluent stream of synthesis gas and entrained carbon soot, comprising:

• a) scrubbing the effluent stream with water to remove the entrained carbon therefrom, thereby producing a carbon soot-free synthesis gas and a stream of water and entrained carbon;
• b) filtering the stream of water and entrained carbon to produce a wet filter cake of carbon soot;
• c) contacting the wet filter cake with oil at a first elevated pressure to form a first mixture of carbon soot/oil/water;
• d) exposing the carbon soot/oil/water mixture to a second elevated pressure, lower then the first elevated pressure, to vaporize and separate a portion of the water content from the first carbon soot/oil/water mixture to thereby form a more concentrated second carbon soot/oil/water mixture;
• e) recycling the more concentrated second carbon soot/oil/water mixture to steps (c) and (d) wherein essentially all of the water is removed to form a substantially water-free carbon soot/oil mixture;
• and
• f) passing the substantially water-free carbon soot/oil mixture to a partial oxidation gasification reaction to serve as a reactant.