Making discrete solid particles of polymeric material

A process is provided for producing discrete solid beads of polymeric material e.g. phenolic resin having a mesoporous structure, which process may produce resin beads on an industrial scale without aggregates of resin building up speedily and interrupting production. The process comprises the steps of: (a) combining a stream of a polymerizable liquid precursor e.g. a novolac and hexamine as cross-linking agent dissolved in a first polar organic liquid e.g. ethylene glycol with a stream of a liquid suspension medium which is a second non-polar organic liquid with which the liquid precursor is substantially or completely immiscible e.g. transformer oil containing a drying oil; (b) mixing the combined stream to disperse the polymerizable liquid precursor as droplets in the suspension medium e.g. using an in-line static mixer; (c) allowing the droplets to polymerise in a laminar flow of the suspension medium so as to form discrete solid beads that cannot agglomerate; and (d) recovering the beads from the suspension medium. Also provided is an apparatus for forming discrete solid beads of polymeric material. In other embodiments, a method is provided for carbonizing and activating carbonaceous material, and an externally fired rotary kiln for carbonizing and activating carbonaceous material.