Solutions · Mineral Filler Storage
Talc, kaolin, and bentonite are fine, cohesive mineral powders that bridge, dust, and must stay dry. PW Silo Systems designs aluminum and stainless steel silos for mineral fillers and clays with you – with mass-flow discharge, discharge aids, and dust collection.
Mineral Filler Storage at a Glance
A talc or kaolin silo stores talc, kaolin, bentonite, or other mineral fillers and clays close to production – for plastics compounding, paper, paints and coatings, ceramics, rubber, building materials, or foundries. It keeps the mineral dry and clean and feeds it in a controlled way to dosing and mixing.
Talc and kaolin are fine, cohesive powders that tend to bridge and form rat-holes. Bentonite swells when it takes up water and must be kept dry. Silo geometry, discharge aids, and dust collection are therefore designed together with you for your mineral and your site.
Why Mineral Fillers Are Demanding
Fine particles, moisture, and dust decide whether a mineral filler silo runs reliably.
Talc and kaolin are fine and cohesive. They compact under their own weight and build bridges or narrow flow channels above the outlet.
During pneumatic filling, fine mineral dust spreads quickly and settles on equipment and surroundings.
Bentonite swells when it takes up water, and damp clay powders cake and block the outlet.
Many plants still handle mineral fillers in big bags – with manual work, dust, and space requirements.
Particle size and whiteness can vary from delivery to delivery – and show up in your end product.
Talc, kaolin, bentonite, and other fillers 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 a white filler.
Which of our two materials fits your mineral filler silo depends on the product, your process, your quality requirements, and your site. We select the material and the design with you.
Your Mineral Filler 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 moreMineral Fillers & Clays
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
Talc, talcum, talc powder
Talc is on our list of bulk materials tested in our lab. Outlet and discharge aids are designed for its fine, platy particles.
Tested in our lab
Kaolin, kaolin clay, china clay
Kaolin is on our tested list. As a fine, cohesive clay, it is planned with discharge aids and dust collection.
Tested in our lab
Bentonite, bentonite clay, sodium bentonite
Bentonite is on our tested list. Silo and venting are designed to keep it dry.
Review with us
Mica, mica powder
Mica is used in coatings, plastics, and building materials. We review your product data with you before designing the silo.
Review with us
Wollastonite, calcium silicate filler
Wollastonite has needle-shaped particles. We review flow behavior and requirements with you.
Review with us
Calcined kaolin, metakaolin
Calcined grades flow differently from hydrous kaolin. We review your material data with you.
Also tested in our lab:
Send us your material data and we will review the right solution with you:
Mineral Check
Type in your mineral 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 mineral filler 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 talc, kaolin, bentonite, and other mineral fillers in silos.
Dry mineral fillers and clays can be stored in a properly designed silo. These products are on our list of bulk materials tested in our lab:
Mica, wollastonite, calcined kaolin, and other minerals we review with you based on your material data.
Talc and kaolin are fine, cohesive powders. They compact under the weight of the silo content and build bridges or rat-holes above the outlet. A mass-flow hopper geometry, PW SpeedBlow air fluidization, and bin activators keep them moving. The right combination depends on your grade.
Bentonite swells when it takes up water. The silo is closed, and filling and venting are defined for your delivery method. Storage conditions for your site we clarify with you.
Yes. A silo filled pneumatically from bulk trucks or railcars reduces manual handling, dust, and storage space compared with big bags. We design filling, storage, and discharge with you for your delivery method and your consumption.
In mass flow, the entire silo content moves downward when material is discharged – not just a channel in the center. Your mineral fillers 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 filler. 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.
