Due to its inherent characteristics, the thermal processing of powders (including calcination, sintering, carburization, etc.) is primarily performed in rotary tube furnaces.

Screening is an essential aspect of processing ceramic materials. An array of commercial applications for ceramics—from building materials to aerospace—is facilitated by the diversity of available ceramic products.

Many particulate solid materials can exhibit self-heating that, if unchecked, can progress to a fire or explosion.