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.

This invention in the field of grain drying, along with other particulates, provides an apparatus which dehumidifies air, then heats the air to relative low drying temperatures (95-160 Deg. F.), provides the dehumidified, heated air as process air to a system which uses the airflow as a transport method to fluidize the particulate matter and move the mixed process air and particles through a process column for drying. Once a particle reaches a designed moisture level, its mass will have been reduced, and that effect plus the velocity of the process air in the column will float the dried particle up and out of the column for further handling.

This invention in the field of grain drying, along with other particulates, provides an apparatus which dehumidifies air, then heats the air to relative low drying temperatures (95-160 Deg. F.), provides the dehumidified, heated air as process air to a system which uses the airflow as a transport method to fluidize the particulate matter and move the mixed process air and particles through a process column for drying. Once a particle reaches a designed moisture level, its mass will have been reduced, and that effect plus the velocity of the process air in the column will float the dried particle up and out of the column for further handling.

Disclosed herein is a process for de-watering a sludge. The process comprises heating a de-watering fluid, and passing the de-watering fluid through the sludge, thereby de-watering the sludge. Also disclosed herein is a system for de-watering a sludge and a sludge which is at least partially de-watered according to the process.

Disclosed herein is a process for de-watering a sludge. The process comprises heating a de-watering fluid, and passing the de-watering fluid through the sludge, thereby de-watering the sludge. Also disclosed herein is a system for de-watering a sludge and a sludge which is at least partially de-watered according to the process.

A process for drying granular polymeric material, comprising the steps of: dehumidifying the granular polymeric material by means of a first flow of gas at a first temperature of between 100° C. and 150° C.; heating the dehumidified granular polymeric material to a second temperature, greater than the first temperature; drying the granular polymeric material heated to the second temperature, by applying a predefined vacuum level; and transferring the dried granular polymeric material to a feed hopper (40) provided upstream of a working machine (100).

A process for drying granular polymeric material, comprising the steps of: dehumidifying the granular polymeric material by means of a first flow of gas at a first temperature of between 100° C. and 150° C.; heating the dehumidified granular polymeric material to a second temperature, greater than the first temperature; drying the granular polymeric material heated to the second temperature, by applying a predefined vacuum level; and transferring the dried granular polymeric material to a feed hopper (40) provided upstream of a working machine (100).

The present invention relates to the use of a mechanical apparatus to convey a workpiece through a fluidized bed dryer. In particular, the invention relates to a single or multiple stage vibrating fluidized drag conveyor having spaced apart conveyor paddles attached to a continuous chain or a similar device, and driven by a variable frequency motor drive. The invention is of particular applicability in the case of low-density workpieces where chaotic motion of air may disrupt or reverse the orderly flow of workpieces through the dryer.

To improve operating efficiency of a dry grinding machine, the dry grinding machine includes a rotating shaft; a first blade that is rotationally driven by the rotating shaft; a grinding chamber that houses the first blade; a feed-in section that feeds material to be processed, which is transported by hot air into the grinding chamber from a direction intersecting the rotating shaft; and a discharging section that is arranged on a side of the first blade opposite the feed-in section, in an axial direction of the rotating shaft, and discharges from the grinding chamber, along with the hot air, the material to be processed that has been ground by the first blade while being dried by the hot air fed in from the feed-in section.

A reflective particulate material comprises a particulate substrate, and a coating on the particulate substrate. The coated reflective particulate material may have a relative error of an amount of the coating on the particulate substrate of about 5% to about 15%, and/or a dust index of about 5 or lower, and/or a staining loss of about 8% to about 11%. A method of manufacturing the reflective particulate material comprises mixing the particulate substrate with a liquid coating composition to form a wet particulate mixture, passing the wet particulate mixture through at least one heat zone to remove water and/or moisture, and curing the coating material in the coating composition.