Apparatus for pressing and other mechanical treatment of materials such as catalysts

An apparatus for parallel pressing and crushing and sieving of catalysis materials, the apparatus comprising

• a common pressure chamber defined by an interior cavity surface of a pressure chamber body,
• a press body disposed in the common pressure chamber, the press body comprising four or more spatially discrete wells, each of the four or more wells defining a pressing zone,
• four or more pressing elements, each of the four or more pressing elements being disposed in one of the wells of the press body, and
• a pressure source for pressurizing a fluid within the common pressure chamber, such that a pressure is exerted on the four or more pressing elements to simultaneously agglomerate smaller particles of the catalysis materials in the four or more pressing zones into larger particles,
• wherein the press body is adapted, in a crushing and sieving mode of operation, such that the press body can in the crushing and sieving mode of operation be a crusher body comprising four or more spatially discrete apertures or wells, each of the four or more apertures or wells defining together with a primary sieve, a crushing zone having an interior crushing surface,
• and the apparatus further comprising four or more crushing elements, each of the four or more crushing elements being at least partially within one of the crushing zones and being adapted for crushing catalysis materials residing in one of the four or more crushing zones in the crushing and sieving mode.