Solutions for High - Efficiency Powder Transfer Equipment: Challenges, Technologies, and Selection Guides

 

In industrial production, powder transfer is a key process for safely and efficiently transferring powder or granular materials from one location to another. It is widely used in industries such as chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food, agriculture, and new energy. However, this process faces core challenges such as dust control, material flowability, and equipment sealing. This article will conduct an in - depth analysis of common problems, key technologies, and selection strategies in powder transfer, providing practical references for the industry.

 

Core Challenges in Powder Transfer

1. Dust Control: Powder is prone to generating dust during transfer. This not only pollutes the environment and threatens the health of personnel but also may pose an explosion risk (especially when dealing with flammable powders).

2. Differences in Material Flowability: The characteristics of different powders, such as particle size, humidity, and adhesion, vary significantly, directly affecting the transfer efficiency. For example, high - humidity materials are prone to caking, and ultra - fine powders tend to adhere to the pipe walls.

3. Sealing Requirements: To prevent dust leakage or cross - contamination, equipment needs to have high - level sealing, which places higher requirements on the design of the conveying system and material selection.

 

Key Technologies and Equipment

In response to the above challenges, the current mainstream powder transfer technologies include:

1. Pneumatic Conveying System:

   - Dilute - Phase and Dense - Phase Conveying: Dilute - phase conveying is suitable for long - distance transmission of light and dry powders, while dense - phase conveying is appropriate for highly abrasive or fragile materials.

   - Positive - Pressure and Negative - Pressure Modes: The positive - pressure system can achieve large - capacity conveying and is suitable for large - scale production lines; the negative - pressure system is more suitable for scenarios with strict dust - prevention requirements.

2. Mechanical Conveying Equipment:

   - Screw Conveyor: It is suitable for short - distance and small - batch powder transfer. It has a simple structure but relatively high energy consumption.

   - Pipe Chain Conveyor: It realizes multi - point feeding and discharging through the chain and round - pipe structure and is suitable for complex layouts and fragile materials.

3. Innovation in Auxiliary Equipment:

   - Rotary Breaking Valve: Equipped with wear - resistant impellers, it can crush agglomerated materials and control the flow rate, suitable for pre - treatment of highly viscous powders or large particles.

   - Sealed Silos and Dust Removal Devices: They integrate functions such as ventilation and arch - breaking, reducing material retention and dust dispersion.

 

Equipment Selection Guide

When selecting powder transfer equipment, the following factors need to be comprehensively considered:

1. Material Characteristics: Including particle size, density, humidity, and corrosiveness. For example, the pneumatic conveying system is suitable for dry powders, while the screw conveyor is more suitable for viscous materials.

2. Process Requirements: Determine the technical route according to the conveying volume, distance, and environmental conditions (such as explosion - proof requirements, temperature, and humidity). For long - distance and high - sealing scenarios, pneumatic conveying is preferred.

3. Energy Efficiency and Maintenance Costs: Compare the energy consumption and life - cycle costs of the equipment. For example, dilute - phase pneumatic conveying has a low initial investment but high long - term energy consumption, while the dense - phase system is the opposite.

4. Safety and Environmental Compliance: When dealing with flammable and explosive materials, explosion - proof design should be adopted, and dust recovery devices should be configured to meet environmental protection standards.