To dry a particulate material by conveying a steam and a combustion product generated by heating the particulate material to a pre-drier, mixing a hot particulate material with a wet particulate material feed to be cooled further, and separating them to form a low temperature particulate material product.

A first portion 12 of a wet aluminum feed 10 is fed to a pre- drier 16 and heated, alumina is separated from a moisture and a combustion product by a first separation stage 18, and conveyed to a furnace 22. Aluminum is further heated in the furnace 22, and the hot aluminum product, steam and the combustion product are conveyed to a second separation stage 32, a hot gas is separated from the hot alumina, and the alumina is conveyed to a pre- drier 616. A hot alumina 42 is conveyed to a mixing stage 34, and mixed with a second portion 14 of a wet alumina material feed 10 and cooled, and cooled air is further applied to the alumina at a cooling stage 38 to generate a low- temperature product.