Solutions · Stearate & Additive Storage
Stearic acid and stearates are used as lubricants, release agents, and processing aids in plastics, PVC, rubber, and many other industries. They come as flakes, beads, pastilles, or light powders – and they soften when they get warm. PW Silo Systems designs aluminum and stainless steel silos for stearates with you.
Stearate Storage at a Glance
A stearate silo stores stearic acid, potassium stearate, metal stearates, or other lubricants and processing aids close to production – for PVC dry blends, plastics compounding, rubber compounding, or chemical production. It keeps the product clean and contained and feeds it in a controlled way to weighing and mixing.
Stearic acid has a low melting point. When it gets warm, flakes and pastilles can soften and stick together. Flakes break into fines, and metal stearates are light, dusty powders. Silo geometry, discharge, and dust collection are therefore designed together with you for your product and your site.
Why Stearates Are Demanding
Low melting points, fines, and light powders decide whether a stearate silo runs reliably.
Stearic acid has a low melting point. Warm product can soften, stick together, and cake under the weight of the silo content.
Flakes break during filling, conveying, and discharge. Fines change flow behavior and create dust.
Pastilles and beads usually flow well – but they can stick together when they get warm and compacted.
Metal stearates such as calcium or zinc stearate are very light powders that dust during filling and conveying.
Lubricants are added in small amounts – but every batch needs the right quantity.
Stearic acid, stearates, and waxes are often used side by side and must not be mixed by accident.
Silo Materials
We build silos exclusively in aluminum and stainless steel. Carbon steel is not an option for us: its coating is the only protection against corrosion – and flaking coating or rust can end up in your product.
Which of our two materials fits your stearate silo depends on the product, your process, and your site. We select the material and the design with you. Explosion protection and venting we review with you where your product requires it.
Your Stearate Silo System
Silo, discharge, blending, filtration, and monitoring 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 pneumatic filling and conveying – sized for fine powders.
Learn moreMonitoring
Level measurement for reliable monitoring of the silo content – so you know when to reorder.
Learn moreStearates & Processing Aids
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
Stearic acid, octadecanoic acid, stearin
Stearic acid is on our list of bulk materials tested in our lab. Silo and discharge are designed for flakes, beads, or powder.
Tested in our lab
Potassium stearate, potassium soap
Potassium stearate is on our tested list. Discharge and dust collection are planned for its product form.
Tested in our lab
Pastilles, beads, prills
Pastilles are on our tested list. Mass-flow discharge keeps the product moving evenly.
Tested in our lab
Wax pellets, wax beads, wax flakes
Wax pellets are on our tested list. Storage conditions for your site we clarify with you.
Review with us
Calcium stearate, CaSt
Calcium stearate is a light, fine powder. We review your product data with you before designing the silo.
Review with us
Zinc stearate, magnesium stearate, metal stearates
Metal stearates differ in particle size and flow behavior. We review them with you.
Also tested in our lab:
Send us your material data and we will review the right solution with you:
Additive Check
Type in your additive 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 stearate 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 stearic acid, stearates, and waxes in silos.
Stearic acid, stearates, and waxes can be stored in a properly designed silo. These products are on our list of bulk materials tested in our lab:
Calcium stearate, zinc stearate, magnesium stearate, and other processing aids we review with you based on your material data.
Stearic acid has a low melting point and can soften and stick together when it gets warm. Silo height, hopper geometry, and discharge aids are designed with you for your product. Storage conditions for your site we clarify with you.
Flakes can break during filling, conveying, and discharge, which creates fines and dust. Silo geometry, filling, and discharge are designed with you for gentle product handling.
Integrated filters and PW FilterLine dust collectors separate dust during pneumatic filling and conveying. Filter size and venting are matched to your filling rate and your product. Explosion protection we review with you where your product requires it.
In mass flow, the entire silo content moves downward when material is discharged – not just a channel in the center. Your stearates leaves the silo in the order it came in (first in, first out), and no product is left behind in dead zones. Our PW StoreLine silos are designed for concentric mass-flow discharge without asymmetric flow zones.
We build silos exclusively in aluminum and stainless steel – never in coated carbon steel, so no flaking coating or rust can contaminate your product. Which of our two materials fits depends on the product, your process, and your site. We select it with you.
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 – particle size, bulk density, 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.
