Abstract: A method of heat treating a material, particularly for the despersion and firing of wet agglomerates, slurries, sludges and the like in fluidized bed, spouting bed or spouting/fluidised bed combustors, comprises extracting hot sold particles from the bed of the combustor, mixing the hot particles and the material in a mixing chamber, and conveying at least part of the product of the admixture to the combustor. Apparatus is also provided for heat treatment of a material by this method.

Abstract: A spouted fluidized bed reactor for use in the incineration or other treatment of materials comprises a particulate bed, at least one nozzle projecting into the lower region of the bed and means to pass air or other fluid into the bed through the nozzle with sufficient velocity to cause a region of the bed above the nozzle to become fluidized, either (a) the bed being sufficiently deep that a spouted bed is formed above the nozzle with a region of fluidization of the bed above the spouted bed region, or (b) a spouted bed is formed above the nozzle and sufficient air or other fluid is fed to the lower region of the bed adjacent or surrounding the nozzle to maintain the particles of the stagnant region of the spouted bed in a state of incipient fluidization.