A system for producing free-flowing powder with a narrow particle size distribution from liquid compositions comprising in combination: a feeding reservoir comprising said liquid compositions: a pumping device to pump said liquid composition into at least one atomizing device: said at least one atomizing device composed of at least one fluid nozzle to distribute an upward gaseous drying medium over said nozzle: two lateral streamlined tube-like devices for supplying said liquid composition and pressurized gas to said at least one nozzle from two opposite directions: a cylindrical plenum chamber wherein the fluid nozzle is located: an accelerating zone of a drying medium consisting of a cylindrical pipe located at the bottom of the cylindrical plenum: a conical-cylindrical drying chamber equipped with a manhole, a multi-nozzle manifold and insulation panels: and an intermediate drying medium consisting of a single bed or multi-beds of inert carriers within the drying chamber.

A system for producing free-flowing powder with a narrow particle size distribution from liquid compositions comprising in combination: a feeding reservoir comprising said liquid compositions: a pumping device to pump said liquid composition into at least one atomizing device: said at least one atomizing device composed of at least one fluid nozzle to distribute an upward gaseous drying medium over said nozzle: two lateral streamlined tube-like devices for supplying said liquid composition and pressurized gas to said at least one nozzle from two opposite directions: a cylindrical plenum chamber wherein the fluid nozzle is located: an accelerating zone of a drying medium consisting of a cylindrical pipe located at the bottom of the cylindrical plenum: a conical-cylindrical drying chamber equipped with a manhole, a multi-nozzle manifold and insulation panels: and an intermediate drying medium consisting of a single bed or multi-beds of inert carriers within the drying chamber.

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.