A method for the continuous sublimation of a substance, the method comprising: freezing a material containing water as the substance to a temperature below 0°C (32°F), whereby the water is present in a solid phase; continuously supplying the material in particulate form containing the substance in the solid phase to feed port of a processing apparatus having a processing chamber, the substance capable of sublimation; cascading the material downwardly between a plurality of trays vertically stacked within the processing chamber containing heated air; rotating the plurality of trays arranged within the processing chamber, wherein the trays are attached to a rotating structure, and the trays rotate about a substantially vertical axis as the structure rotates; wherein the cascading comprises pushing the material through apertures of the rotating trays by engagement of the material with a cantilevered device extending over each rotating tray; maintaining the processing chamber under substantially atmospheric pressure in the range of about ±2.54 millimeters (± 0.10 inches) water; circulating heated air within the processing chamber by a plurality of fans 140 within the processing chamber; controlling the temperature of the heated air within the processing chamber at a temperature in the range of about -7°C - -1°C (20-30°F), whereby the water in the solid phase sublimes forming a sublimate; cooling exhaust gas from the processing chamber containing the sublimate to form cooled exhaust gas; controlling the partial pressure of the substance within the heated air within the process chamber less than the vapor pressure of the substance in the material at least by contacting the the cooled exhaust gas with a drying agent comprising a desiccant, whereby the substance continuously sublimes within the processing chamber, wherein a plurality of desiccant systems are arranged in parallel receiving the cooled exhaust gas; wherein the desiccant is selected from the group consisting of lithium chloride, calcium chloride, calcium sulfate, phosphorous pentoxide, triethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, ethylene glycol, tetrathylene glycol, silica gel, and molecular sieves; rejuvenating the desiccant by recovering the sublimate in the form of water to enable reuse of the desiccant in the method; reusing in the method the water from the sublimate recovered from the desiccant; and recycling the heated air back to the processing chamber; wherein the exhaust gas is supplied to a plurality of desiccant systems using a manifold controlled by suitable valves to isolate individual desiccant systems as may be desired during the lyophilization and desiccant regeneration processes. freezing a material containing water as the substance to a temperature below 0°C (32°F), whereby the water is present in a solid phase; continuously supplying the material in particulate form containing the substance in the solid phase to feed port of a processing apparatus having a processing chamber, the substance capable of sublimation; cascading the material downwardly between a plurality of trays vertically stacked within the processing chamber containing heated air; rotating the plurality of trays arranged within the processing chamber, wherein the trays are attached to a rotating structure, and the trays rotate about a substantially vertical axis as the structure rotates; wherein the cascading comprises pushing the material through apertures of the rotating trays by engagement of the material with a cantilevered device extending over each rotating tray; maintaining the processing chamber under substantially atmospheric pressure in the range of about ±2.54 millimeters (± 0.10 inches) water; circulating heated air within the processing chamber by a plurality of fans 140 within the processing chamber; controlling the temperature of the heated air within the processing chamber at a temperature in the range of about -7°C - -1°C (20-30°F), whereby the water in the solid phase sublimes forming a sublimate; cooling exhaust gas from the processing chamber containing the sublimate to form cooled exhaust gas; controlling the partial pressure of the substance within the heated air within the process chamber less than the vapor pressure of the substance in the material at least by contacting the the cooled exhaust gas with a drying agent comprising a desiccant, whereby the substance continuously sublimes within the processing chamber, wherein a plurality of desiccant systems are arranged in parallel receiving the cooled exhaust gas; wherein the desiccant is selected from the group consisting of lithium chloride, calcium chloride, calcium sulfate, phosphorous pentoxide, triethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, ethylene glycol, tetrathylene glycol, silica gel, and molecular sieves; rejuvenating the desiccant by recovering the sublimate in the form of water to enable reuse of the desiccant in the method; reusing in the method the water from the sublimate recovered from the desiccant; and recycling the heated air back to the processing chamber; wherein the exhaust gas is supplied to a plurality of desiccant systems using a manifold controlled by suitable valves to isolate individual desiccant systems as may be desired during the lyophilization and desiccant regeneration processes.