Abstract: A method for coating bulk material uses a coating apparatus to produce a continuous flow of coated material having a predetermined stationary coating weight gain. Coating material is sprayed on the bulk material in two phases within respective first and second rotatable tubular containers of the coating apparatus. In the first rotatable container, the bulk material is partially coated with a pre-set weight gain. In the second rotatable container, the bulk material is sprayed with a coating material to obtain a bulk material coated with the predetermined stational coating weight gain. A transition phase is provided between the two spray periods during which a load of coated bulk material from the first container is transferred at a transfer flow rate to the second container while a new load of bulk material is fed to the first container at the same flow rate as the transfer flow rate.

Abstract: Method for coating bulk material comprises: starting a coating apparatus (1; 101) according to a start procedure on a discrete load of bulk material to be coated; operating the coating apparatus (1; 101) in stationary mode, by introducing a continuous flow of uncoated bulk material into the coating apparatus (1; 101) and obtaining at the outlet of said coating apparatus (1; 101) a continuous flow of coated bulk material having a predetermined stationary coating weight gain (W %); in which the coating apparatus (1; 101) comprises a first rotatable tubular container (2; 102) provided with a first dispensing device (5; 105) for dispensing coating material on the bulk material (M) in a plurality of internal successive adjacent spray zones between a first inlet and a first outlet of the first container (2; 102); a second rotatable tubular container (6; 106) arranged to receive bulk material (M) coming from the first container (2), the second rotatable tubular container (6; 106) being provided with a second dispens