Pneumatic conveying systems are designed to handle materials with a wide range of flow characteristics. Common dry materials that can typically be transferred using pneumatic conveying technology include flour, cement, sand, plastic pellets, various chemicals, food products, and minerals. Material with a large particle size and high bulk density, such as gravel or rocks, and extremely sticky material, like titanium dioxide, prove to be difficult to transfer via pneumatic conveying systems. Other materials such as slurry or paste generally aren't suited for this type of conveying. Some wet cakes are able to be transferred so it is important to conduct product testing in these instances.
Product Testing Options
Before purchasing equipment, a vendor should offer some type of testing option to determine more precise data that can ensure your product application will perform to your expectations. First, it’s important to define the criteria that are specific to your application. Typical testing options that are available include:
- Rent a pneumatic conveying unit and perform your own product tests at a pace that suits you, in the real world of your own production facility.
- Send a sample of your product and the vendor will do a complete product test to confirm your product will transfer to your expectations (usually with the option for you to be present during testing procedures). Testing of this kind is generally only performed on material that is not extremely hazardous or explosive. So what will you get out this? - detailed test results, including information about how successfully the system conveys your material, at what rate, and how much air the process consumes among other data.