Application
Mechanical Conveying in Chemical Plants
Answer in brief
In chemical production a mechanical conveyor is chosen for enclosure as much as for transport.
A tubular screw keeps an aggressive or dusty powder inside a pipe, which is often worth more than the capacity advantage of an open belt.
- Enclose by default; open belts are the exception here.
- Match contact materials to the product and the cleaning agent.
- Design the seals, because that is where the containment is lost.
Reviewed October 21, 2026 · Updated October 21, 2026
The problem
Chemical powders are corrosive, dusty or both, and an open conveyor turns a contained process into a housekeeping problem.
Shaft seals and end bearings are the usual leak points.
Desired outcome
A conveying line that delivers the rate, keeps the product and the room separated and can be maintained without dismantling the plant around it.
Process approach
Tubular screw conveyors are the standard choice for enclosed transfer over short distances, with the seal arrangement chosen for the dust and any purge requirement.
Where the material is abrasive, the flight edges and the trough liner are consumables, and the design should allow their replacement.
Flexible screw conveyors handle modest rates over awkward geometry and are easy to clean between products.
- Contact materials selected against every product and cleaning medium.
- Shaft seals specified with the purge arrangement where needed.
- Drainable, inspectable geometry for changeover.
Selection factors
- Corrosion behavior of each product against the contact materials.
- Required containment and the acceptable dust release.
- Abrasiveness and the resulting wear interval.
- Changeover frequency and cleaning method.
- Explosion characteristics where the powder is combustible.
Common failure modes
- Shaft seal leaking the product into the room
- Trough liner worn through unnoticed
- Residue from a previous product in the screw flights
- Open conveyor chosen where enclosure was the real requirement
Partner with powderbulkvideos.com
Put a relevant technical solution in this decision path.
Connect your company and video evidence with clearly labelled visibility where engineers evaluate this material, application, industry or product.
Related content
Continue exploring
Move from this page to the companies, videos and technical topics that add useful context.
Companies
Videos
ScrapeTec International GmbH
AirScrape: New conveyor skirting for your transfer points
The footage presents the AirScrape contact-free conveyor skirting concept at a belt transfer zone. It shows the position above the belt edge, the angled lamella arrangement and the intended inward direction of air and material.
Total reach: 10,400
PUCEST protect GmbH
PUCEST: Lower Belt Scraper Roller
The footage shows a motor-driven PUCEST lower belt scraper roller acting on the return side of a conveyor. Flexible lamella rings rotate against belt travel to remove material that remains after discharge.
Total reach: 4,054
WAMGROUP
Tubular Screw Conveyors and Feeders
WAMGROUP presents enclosed tubular screw conveyors and feeders used to transfer or meter powders and bulk solids.