Particulate material is fed onto a certrifuge constrained to rotate coaxially in the wide upper portion of a funnel-shaped receptacle of insulating material. Particles are centrifugally propelled toward the inner surface of the receptacle through a space at which there is a corona discharge that electrically charges them. Annular electrodes embedded in the receptacle wall at vertically spaced intervals are connected to terminals of an a.c. voltage source to produce a constantly varying electric field that repels charged particles from the wall. Particles are further charged in leaving the bottom outlet of the receptacle, to be electrostatically attracted to an article to be coated with them.