Apparatus for processing materials

An apparatus for processing materials, comprising:

• (a) a housing having a plurality of bores;
• (b) at least one inlet port and an outlet port disposed in the housing, both the inlet port and the outlet port being in fluid communication with the bores;
• (c) means for moving the materials circumferentially in the bores without inducing net flow in the longitudinal direction from the inlet port to the outlet port, the moving means comprising a plurality of non-contacting, counter-rotating rotors each disposed in a respective bore in the housing, each rotor having a plurality of teeth, the teeth of one rotor meshing with the teeth of an adjacent rotor so that the materials are squeezed in the space between two adjacent teeth of one rotor and the meshing tooth of the other rotor to impart stretching flow to the materials and to expel the materials from the interstices between the teeth of one rotor and the other rotor;
• and
• (d) pressure means disposed outside the housing and in communication with the at least one inlet port for introducing the materials under pressure to the bores and for forcing the material through the bores to the outlet port.