The present invention relates to a fluidized bed apparatus and a method for particle-coating or granulating, the fluidized bed apparatus includes a swirl generator which is mounted on a sprayer body in the fluidized bed apparatus and extends throughout an air distribution plate and is connected to a source of compressed air. The swirl generator comprises a tubular sleeve extending circumferentially around the sprayer body, and an air chamber is defined between the sleeve and the sprayer body, wherein the sleeve comprises a plurality of guiding slots. The air from the source of compressed air via the air chamber is directed by said guiding slots to rotate outwardly, so as to provide a swirling air stream circumferentially outwardly relative to the sprayer. The present invention can facilitate the development of the spray pattern and the particle flow pattern and allows the particles to spin respectively due to slight friction with the inner wall of the partition, thereby opportunities for the particles to obtain a more uniform spray when subsequently passing through the spray zone above the nozzle are increased, so that performance of the fluidized bed apparatus is improved.

Provided is a device for granulating, agglomerating, pelletising, drying and/or coating, the device including a swirl chamber, a distribution chamber, wherein the swirl chamber is separated from the distribution chamber by a base and wherein a powder to be granulated or a powder mixture to be granulated is presented in the swirl chamber, the device further including at least one agitator for thoroughly mixing the powder to be granulated or the powder mixture to be granulated and at least one addition device for a liquid, wherein the base is designed in several parts and at least one base part is horizontally and/or vertically displaceable, with the result that that the base becomes a distributor plate. Also provided is a method for granulating, agglomerating, pelletising, drying and/or coating using such a device and a base suitable for use as a distributor plate in a convective drying apparatus.

A batch sample preparation apparatus (10) for preparing a geological sample for analysis is described and claimed. The apparatus (10) comprises a dryer (12) having a drying (chamber 52), a sample inlet (20) and at least one sample outlet (22), (24) communicating with the drying chamber (52), to a comminution device (14) in selective fluid communication via valves (26), (28) with the dryer (12) to selectively receive dried sample. The apparatus (10) has a source of fluid (74) introduced at the dryer (12) so that sample material may be transported from the dryer (12) to the comminution device (14) by fluid flow, which fluid flow also extracts the sample material from the comminution device (14) for collection and subsequent analysis.

An apparatus for drying and conveying a material includes a vibratory fluid bed dryer having a perforated drying deck on which material is deposited, said fluid bed dryer including a vibratory drive system capable of imparting a variable angle vibratory force to the deck. A flash dryer is also provided, having a fan and heater for supplying hot air through the fluid bed dryer deck and a cyclone for collecting finished, dried material particles.