Apparatus and Method for Grinding Particulate Material

A vertical roller mill comprising a grinding table and a grinding roller having a rotational axis, each having a grinding surface and arranged to define a grinding zone between the grinding surfaces grinds particulate material. A feeder feeds the particulate material to the vertical roller mill, with the grinding roller is-arranged to roll around a grinding path on said grinding table. The feeder receives a supply of the particulate material and directs that material to flow to the grinding zone of the vertical roller mill. The feeder can constrain the flow of material to a defined cross-section by applying a momentum to and/or pushing, or to compact the flow of material prior to directing the material, or combinations thereof. In particular, the disclosure is applicable to grinding particulate materials like mining ores, industrial minerals and chemicals, sand, slag, ash, clay, pigments for coatings, pharmaceuticals and cement raw materials.