Solutions · Natural Color Storage
Natural colors such as beta-carotene, curcumin, or beet powder are fine, intensely colored, and high in value – a little of the wrong color ruins a whole batch. PW Silo Systems designs aluminum and stainless steel silos with dedicated storage and quick-to-clean equipment for color and extract producers.
Color Extract Storage at a Glance
A color extract silo stores natural colors and plant extracts in powder form close to production – for beverages, confectionery, dairy, snacks, or blends. It protects the powder from moisture, light, and contamination and feeds it in a controlled way to dosing and mixing.
Color powders are fine and cohesive, and even small residues change the color of the next product. PW Silo Systems designs the silo, discharge aids, and cleaning concept around your extracts.
Why Color Extracts Are Demanding
Natural colors are dosed in small quantities but have a big effect. Every challenge below affects product quality.
Residues of one color change the shade of the next product.
Color powders are very fine and tend to bridge and cake.
Many natural colors are sensitive to moisture and light.
In coated carbon steel silos, flaking paint and steel particles can end up in the color extract.
Fine color extract dust is combustible. Filling and conveying release dust into the silo and its surroundings.
In funnel flow, color extracts can stay in the silo for a long time while fresh product passes through the center.
Silo Materials
Aluminum and stainless steel silos are widely used for flour, sugar, starch, and other food ingredients. Both materials offer high corrosion resistance, good hygiene, and a long service life.
Carbon steel is not an option for us: its coating is the only protection against corrosion. Once it wears, paint particles and steel can get into the product. Which of our two materials fits your color extract silo depends on your product, your process, your cleaning requirements, and your site – we review it with you.
Your Color Extract Silo System
Silo, discharge, blending, filtration, and safety equipment are engineered as one system. That means fewer interfaces for your team and components that are designed to work together.
Storage
Concentric mass-flow discharge without asymmetric flow zones – as standard, site-assembled, indoor, or multi-compartment silos.
Learn moreBlending
Gravity blending and homogenizing with four technologies, including PW ConeBlend with a hopper that is quick to clean.
Learn moreDischarge
Air fluidization for uniform discharge of poorly flowing products – prevents bridging and can be retrofitted to existing silos.
Learn moreDischarge
Vibration from unbalanced motors breaks up cohesive forces, resolves caking, and keeps the outlet clear.
Learn moreFiltration
Dust separation during filling and conveying, in a hygienic design for the food industry.
Learn moreSafety & Monitoring
Rupture discs or explosion vents for combustible dust, level measurement for reliable monitoring of the silo content.
Learn moreColors & Extracts
Products marked “Tested in our lab” are on our list of bulk materials. The others we review with you based on your material data before designing the silo.
Tested in our lab
Beta-carotene, carotene powder
Beta-carotene is on our list of bulk materials tested in our lab. A closed silo protects the sensitive powder.
Tested in our lab
Curcumin, turmeric extract
Curcumin is on our tested list. Its intense yellow color makes dedicated storage important.
Tested in our lab
Beet powder, beetroot powder, red beet powder
Beet powder is on our tested list. It is hygroscopic – discharge aids are planned accordingly.
Tested in our lab
Paprika extract, paprika oleoresin powder
Paprika extract is on our tested list. Separate storage keeps its red color out of other products.
Review with us
Spirulina, algae powder
Spirulina is used as a natural blue-green color source. Algae is on our tested list; your spirulina product we review with you.
Review with us
Annatto, bixin, norbixin
Annatto is used for yellow-orange shades. We review your product data with you before designing the silo.
Also tested in our lab:
Send us your material data and we will review the right solution with you:
Extract Check
Type in your color or extract or any other bulk material to see whether it has already been tested in our lab. The list covers 287 bulk materials.
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Service in the U.S.
With more than 40 years of experience in silo engineering, we support your color extract silo project from the first design discussion to commissioning. We deliver to every U.S. state and install with our own qualified personnel.
FAQ
Answers to the questions plant managers, engineers, and buyers ask most often about storing natural colors and plant extracts in silos.
Dry color powders and plant extracts can be stored in a properly designed silo. These products are on our list of bulk materials tested in our lab:
Annatto, carmine, caramel color, anthocyanins, and chlorophyll we review with you based on your material data.
Both. Aluminum and stainless steel silos are widely used for color extract and other food ingredients because they offer high corrosion resistance, good hygiene, and a long service life. Which material fits your project depends on your product, your process, your cleaning requirements, and your site. We review the options with you.
In a carbon steel silo, the coating is the only protection against corrosion. If it wears or flakes off, paint particles and steel can end up in your color extract. That is why we build silos exclusively in aluminum and stainless steel.
We recommend a dedicated silo per color – or PW StoreLine multi-compartment silos that keep several products separate in one silo. For frequent product changes, the PW ConeBlend blending silo has a hopper that is quick and easy to clean.
A closed silo protects the powder from outside moisture. Discharge aids such as PW SpeedBlow air fluidization and bin activators prevent bridging and keep the outlet clear.
In mass flow, the entire silo content moves downward when material is discharged – not just a channel in the center. Your color extract leaves the silo in the order it came in (first in, first out), and no product is left behind in dead zones where it could age or cake. Our PW StoreLine silos are designed for concentric mass-flow discharge without asymmetric flow zones.
Fine color extract dust is combustible, and many bulk solids carry an explosion risk. For combustible bulk solids we supply explosion-protected silos designed in accordance with applicable codes and regulations. Venting devices – rupture discs or explosion vents – are selected for your silo, your product, and your application. Integrated filters and dust collectors reduce dust during filling and conveying.
Hygiene starts with the materials: aluminum and stainless steel offer good hygiene and corrosion resistance. In addition, our flat-roof designs support high cleanliness standards, PW SpeedBlow uses high air flow for cleaning, and the PW ConeBlend blending silo has a hopper that is quick and easy to clean – well suited to frequent product changes.
The right size depends on your daily consumption, delivery intervals, the number of products, and the space available at your site. PW StoreLine silos are available in a wide range of sizes and diameters, and silos too large for road transport are assembled on site. We size the system with you – without oversized investment.
Yes. We deliver to every U.S. state and support your project with silo transport, field assembly, silo installation and supervision, and site relocation of existing systems.
Very likely. Our silo systems are designed for nearly all free-flowing, granular, and powdered bulk solids. Send us your material details – kernel size, moisture, and how the product is filled and discharged – and we will review the right storage solution with you.
Tell us about your products, required storage capacity, how the silo is filled and discharged, and your site conditions. Based on this, we work out the material, silo type, and configuration with you and send you a detailed quote.
Your Project
Whether you need a single color extract silo, several silos for different products, or a complete system with blending and discharge, tell us about your requirements. We'll develop a solution that fits your product, your process, and your site.
Send a Request NowWhat Happens Next
Tell us about your bulk material, your process, and your site conditions.
We work with you on material, silo type, and configuration – based on a bulk material analysis if needed.
You receive a custom-engineered solution with a detailed quote.
