Chemical process on the surface of a rotating body

A process for carrying out a chemical reaction on at least one solid reactant, which comprises:

• continuously applying the solid reactant in a fluent particulate form to the surface of a rotating body, the surface being a surface of rotation coaxial with the axis of rotation of the body so that forces generated by the rotation of the body cause a film of the reactant to move across the surface from a supply zone to a discharge zone axially remote from the supply zone, heating the moving film of reactant until it melts, effecting the chemical reaction while the reactant moves across the surface as a molten film, regulating the rate of supply of the solid reactant and the speed of rotation of the body such that the product of the reaction is produced during movement of the reactant between the supply and discharge zones, and discharging the product from the surface of rotation at the discharge zone by using the centrifugal force of the rotating body to fling the product from the surface into the surrounding atmosphere.