Sticky Dilema: Transporting a Product with Multiple States

Hello,

The product is transported within the same factory facilities.

It is not hazardous, not radioactive, but corrosive on stainless steel, unless steel is teflonized.

Capacity : 20'000 t in coming, 2'000 t outgoing

Transport system is within a manufacturing process

Product's name: confidential

Thanks for your deep thinking,

Cheers,

Selles

If you want to maintain the product in a powder form and if the product is sensitive to oxidation, I would suggest looking at a closed loop, temperature controlled (chiller), inert gas pneumatic transfer system (preferably dilute phase).

Hi Aqua doc,

Your comments are valid but not practicle since the powder is at nano size. There is no way to use any gas transfer system.

Thanks,

Selles

I agree with the other answers, sounds like pneumatic displacement is the solution you are looking for, something with high air flows that can handle also the high viscosity phase. For what I know, Supavac is one of the pneumatic displacement pumps that you might want to look at.

Peter

I think there is enough information to state that you have to pick the phase that you want to transport the material in and then maintain the temperature of the product to hold that phase.

The question then becomes is the material cooling from a previous process, have to be heated for the next process or is there an exothermic reaction (a slow one, hopefully) in the material while it is being transported?

Then there is the thought of ambient temperature versus the temperature of the phase you want to hold. Are you going to have to heat the product or cool it?

Once you decide that then you can select a method to maintian the proper temperature.

Hello cat1c0cat,

Valid comments. Product has to be heated all the time and all the way through. No need to cool it afterwards, it will cool down by itself. We still do not know the transport mean.

Cheers,

Selles

My suggestion: Container type conveyor system that got a container to container transferring mechanism. The container material and size should suite the state of the material. I think it is possible to design glass container which can be attached to a belt/ chain conveyor.

Like popcorn?

Keeping this stuff below 92degC looks to be a good bet.

Hello PWSlack,

Volume expansion is the only similarity with pop corn, remember we start from a powder which turns liquid, before getting very sticky, and before coming back to powder status (10x more in volume than initial powder).

Cheers,Selles

Hello again Selles,

A few more questions for you, to narrow the field of thought.

1. Is this product a food, or to be eaten? (hygiene requirements)
   
2. Is the finished product sold "as is"? (after packaging and labelling, of course)
3. Is the product intended to be made into toys?
4. Any other useful information........ (without revealing your Trade Secrets)
   

Your product has some similarities, (except that does not turn back to a powder, unless crushed, in which case the volume reduces markedly), to that great favourite of mine: Hokey Pokey .....

Hello Selles,

I know it's Christmas and New Year Season, and all which means you are perhaps busy.

When you get time, please advise further, some of us are still thinking about your transport problem, thank you.....