PneumaticConveyingofInorganicSaltPowderinManila,PH

Pneumatic Conveying of Inorganic Salt Powder in Manila, PH

Keywords: Pneumatic Conveying Case, Southeast Asia Pneumatic Conveying, Manila Pneumatic Conveying

Shandong Headpowder Engineering Co., Ltd. (headpowder) has successfully completed a pneumatic conveying project for inorganic salt powder in Manila, the Philippines. The project aimed to replace old screw conveyors and bucket elevators that could not operate reliably under tropical conditions. The final objective was to realize continuous, dust-free, and energy-saving transfer of salt powder from the dryer outlet to several packaging silos. This paper highlights the key engineering solutions and the benefits achieved.

Inorganic salt powders are abrasive and strongly hygroscopic. In the humid climate of Manila, moisture absorption causes caking and pipe blocking. The powders are also corrosive to ordinary steels. To overcome these issues, headpowder's engineers studied the particle size distribution, bulk density, and flowability. After testing, they selected a dilute-phase pressure conveying system with a nominal capacity of twenty tons per hour.

The system uses a positive displacement blower to generate a high-speed air stream. A rotary airlock feeder meters the powder into the pipe while maintaining an air seal. The air-powder mixture travels through the pipeline to a cyclone separator and a reverse-jet bag filter. The salt powder is recovered and sent to storage, while the cleaned air is exhausted or recirculated. Operation is fully automatic through a PLC and a human-machine interface.

Engineers carefully optimized the pipe diameter and air velocity. Too high a velocity would wear the elbows and break crystals; too low would cause settling. They selected stainless steel 304 piping for chloride resistance and used long-radius bends to reduce pressure loss. The complete equipment package includes a Siemens PLC, pressure transmitters, frequency drives, silenced blowers, and PTFE-coated filters with trace heating to prevent condensation.

Compared to mechanical conveyors, the pneumatic system occupies much less space and offers flexible routing over or around existing equipment. As the pipeline is fully closed, dust leakage is eliminated, making the plant cleaner and safer. Maintenance requirements are minimal because only the rotary feeder is in direct contact with the material. Since commissioning, line availability has increased from 85 percent to more than 97 percent.

This project is a representative pneumatic conveying case in Southeast Asia. Before installation, our specialists tested the salt powder in the laboratory to determine the minimum conveying velocity and solids loading ratio. The final custom system had a total pipeline length of 82 meters and a vertical lift of 14 meters. Field installation was completed within 35 days under the direct supervision of our engineering team.

Manila's hot and humid climate required special precautions. The conveying air was treated with a refrigerated dryer to lower the dew point, preventing moisture absorption inside the pipeline. A local climate station measures ambient temperature and humidity, enabling automatic adjustment of conveying parameters. This ensures stable operation in all seasons, including the typhoon season. The measured energy consumption is 15 percent lower than expected.

Shandong Headpowder Engineering Co., Ltd., abbreviated as headpowder, is based in Shandong, China. With more than twenty years of experience, we provide complete solutions for pneumatic conveying and bulk material handling. To learn more about this Manila project or your specific application, please contact our sales manager, Manager Zhang, via WeChat at 15662777102. We welcome customers to visit our factory and test their materials with our equipment.