Carbon Black Unloading & Pneumatic Conveying Optimization

Situation

The customer’s manufacturing facility processes large volumes of carbon black used in rubber compounding. The plant relied on an aging mechanical bucket elevator system to unload and transfer multiple grades of carbon black from railcars and trucks to storage silos. This approach resulted in excessive equipment wear, frequent maintenance, material degradation, dust exposure, humidity sensitivity, and cross-contamination between grades, causing downtime and operational inefficiencies.

Task

The customer required a reliable and scalable bulk material handling solution to:

• Unload carbon black from both railcars and trucks
• Convey friable pelletized material without degradation
• Prevent cross-contamination between material grades
• Reduce dust emissions, maintenance, and operator involvement
• Integrate seamlessly with existing plant control systems
• Provide flexibility for future process changes

Action

A Dense Phase Pneumatic Conveying System was engineered and implemented to replace the mechanical conveying equipment. Key actions included:

• Converting to vacuum-loaded, pressure-discharge dense phase pneumatic conveying
• Installing dedicated storage silos and bin vent dust collectors to maintain strict grade separation
• Implementing sealed truck unloading interfaces to reduce connection time and material leakage
• Eliminating traditional filtration and vacuum pumps to simplify the system design
• Retrofitting legacy pneumatic lines with advanced air injection technology to improve airflow balance and reduce plugging
• Reconfiguring material routing with diverter valves and dedicated day bins, fully eliminating grade mixing risks

Result

The upgraded pneumatic conveying system delivered significant operational and performance improvements:

• Complete elimination of cross-contamination between carbon black grades
• Reduced material degradation during conveying
• Lower maintenance requirements and system downtime
• Improved dust control, housekeeping, and plant safety
• Automated operation with remote monitoring, requiring minimal supervision
• Long-term flexibility to transition between rail and truck unloading with minimal modification

The customer achieved a more compact, durable, and efficient carbon black handling system, improving process reliability while reducing total cost of ownership.