Control dust. Protect materials. Keep production moving.
Transfer chemical powders, granules and specialty materials with equipment selected around their handling characteristics. UniTrak combines conveying and bulk bag handling equipment with application engineering to address dust, product damage, material flow and equipment integration, with construction and containment options matched to your process.
CHEMICAL MATERIALS DEMAND THE RIGHT CONVEYING APPROACH
Understand the material before selecting the equipment.
DUST GENERATION & CONTAINMENT
Control material exposure throughout the transfer process.
Fine chemical powders can become airborne during receiving, feeding, conveying and discharge.
Beyond housekeeping concerns, airborne material may create operator exposure risks, contaminate surrounding equipment or contribute to combustible dust hazards.
Enclosed conveying can help limit material escape, but effective containment also depends on the connections between equipment.
Inlet design, discharge arrangements, access points and dust-control provisions must be considered as part of the overall system.
Where hazardous or combustible materials are involved, equipment selection requires an application-specific safety review.
Consider how the material interacts with conveying surfaces.
Abrasive powders and granules can accelerate wear on conveying components, particularly where particles contact surfaces repeatedly or change direction.
Material hardness, particle size, bulk density, conveying speed and equipment geometry all influence wear.
Selecting suitable construction materials and conveying methods can help reduce maintenance requirements and premature component replacement.
Match equipment construction to the chemical environment.
Acidic, alkaline and other corrosive substances may attack unsuitable metals, coatings, seals or nonmetallic components.
Chemical compatibility must be considered for every component exposed to the material, including conveying surfaces, seals, buckets, tubing and associated equipment.
Moisture, temperature and concentration can influence the severity of corrosion.
Appropriate materials of construction and containment provisions can help protect equipment and reduce maintenance problems.
CAKING, BRIDGING & POOR FLOW
Consistent conveying starts with consistent feeding.
Some chemical powders compact, cake or develop cohesive behavior during storage and handling.
These materials may bridge above a conveyor inlet, discharge inconsistently from a hopper or accumulate inside conveying equipment.
Particle characteristics, moisture, temperature and storage conditions can all influence flow.
Suitable hopper geometry and application-specific discharge controls or flow-assistance equipment may be required to maintain reliable transfer.
Material testing can help identify these requirements before equipment selection.
Explore the material characteristics that influence conveying selection.
Contain fine particles and maintain reliable transfer.
Fine powders may generate airborne dust, remain on equipment surfaces or behave inconsistently during feeding.
Some are free-flowing, while others are cohesive or sensitive to moisture.
The conveying arrangement should account for dust containment, material retention and the required transfer rate.
Examples for application review:
Titanium dioxide
Calcium carbonate
Zinc oxide
Silica powders
Pigments and colorants
Fine inorganic chemical powders
Suitable powdered additives
Common concerns: Dust • Product Retention • Flow Consistency • Containment • Cleaning • Material Compatibility
Protect valuable products during transfer.
Some catalyst particles are fragile and may degrade under excessive agitation. Others are abrasive, dense or sensitive to contamination.
The appropriate equipment depends on the catalyst formulation, particle characteristics and operating environment.
Examples for application review:
Catalyst pellets and granules
Catalyst carriers
Zeolites
Specialty chemical powders
Suitable chemical intermediates
Fragile or friable chemical particles
Common concerns: Particle Breakage • Abrasion • Contamination • Dust • Product Loss • Controlled Feeding
Evaluate compatibility and operating conditions before equipment selection.
Corrosive chemicals require careful consideration of materials of construction and product containment.
Reactive substances may introduce additional requirements involving moisture, temperature, atmosphere or equipment design.
Suitability cannot be determined from the chemical name alone.
Examples requiring application-specific review:
Sodium hydroxide flakes
Potassium hydroxide
Calcium hydroxide
Citric acid
Boric acid
Other acidic or alkaline powders
Suitable reactive chemical solids
Common concerns: Corrosion • Chemical Compatibility • Operator Exposure • Dust • Moisture • Safety Review
Transfer raw materials and finished products consistently.
Chemical manufacturers frequently handle resins, additives and polymer-based materials in powder, pellet or granular form.
Some products are free-flowing, while others may be sticky, abrasive or prone to particle degradation.
Examples for application review:
Resin powders and pellets
Polymer granules
Hot-melt adhesive pellets
Wax pellets and flakes
Chemical additives
Compounding ingredients
Suitable polymer blends
Common concerns: Product Breakage • Sticking • Dust • Flow Consistency • Elevation • Process Integration
Account for wear and the weight of the material.
High bulk density affects equipment loading and drive requirements, while abrasive particles may accelerate wear.
Material testing and application review can help determine whether the proposed conveying method is appropriate.
Examples for application review:
Mineral-based chemical ingredients
Refractory powders
Selected metal powders
Abrasive fillers
Dense inorganic compounds
Suitable granular industrial chemicals
Common concerns: Abrasion • Bulk Density • Equipment Loading • Dust • Component Wear • Discharge
Maintain consistent transfer between production stages.
Chemical manufacturing often involves multiple ingredients combined into a finished formulation.
The conveying process should be considered in relation to the material's particle-size distribution, flow characteristics and sensitivity to segregation or degradation.
Some applications require controlled batch transfer, while others operate continuously.
Examples for application review:
Powdered chemical blends
Formulated additives
Dry industrial compounds
Pigment blends
Suitable agricultural chemical formulations
Specialty powdered mixtures
Common concerns: Blend Consistency • Dust • Batch Transfer • Retention • Cross-Contamination • Feeding
Not seeing your material?
Tell us what you need to convey, the conditions under which it will be handled and the problems you need to overcome.
Different conveying methods address different material-handling requirements.
TIPTRAK® BUCKET ELEVATOR
Protect fragile materials through elevation and transfer.
TipTrak carries material in continuous, interlocking buckets through horizontal and vertical sections. Its gentle conveying action protects fragile catalysts and specialty products while reducing spillage and intermediate transfer points. PEC provides an enclosure; Monocoque provides sealed, dust-tight and gas-tight construction. Product-contact components and protective measures are selected for the application.
Transfer chemical powders through an enclosed conveying path.
Powderflight uses a rope-and-disc assembly to generate an air stream inside an enclosed tube. Its conveying action supports efficient powder transfer with low product retention. Construction and conveying arrangements are selected around chemical compatibility, material characteristics and process requirements.
Consider for: Powder Transfer • Enclosed Conveying • Batch Transfer • Low Product Retention
Fit straightforward chemical transfer into limited space.
UniFlex moves powders, granules and small pellets using a rotating screw inside a conveying tube. Its compact design provides an economical option for batch and intermittent transfer. Screw and tube selection accounts for chemical compatibility, abrasion and the material’s sensitivity to handling.
Consider for: Batch Transfer • Powders & Granules • Limited Space • Economical Conveying
Connect bulk chemical ingredients with production.
Bagstander unloading and filling configurations are engineered around your bags, filled weight and loading method. Receiving hoppers, discharge options, weighing equipment and conveying connections bring bulk bag handling into the surrounding process.
Consider for: Bulk Bag Unloading • Bulk Bag Filling • Ingredient Receiving • Weighed Discharge
Improve access where cleaning and product handling matter.
KleanTrak combines stainless steel construction with accessible product-contact areas and removable components. It provides belt conveying for compatible specialty chemical products where cleaning access and controlled product handling are priorities.
Consider for: Cleaning Access • Specialty Products • Controlled Belt Transfer
Equipment construction and containment are selected around the material’s chemical properties, operating conditions and handling requirements.
CONNECT RECEIVING, FEEDING & CONVEYING
The conveyor is only one part of the material-handling process.
Chemical manufacturing frequently requires several operations between receiving raw materials and introducing them into the production process.
A bulk bag may need to be unloaded into a hopper, a cohesive powder may require controlled feeding, or a material may need to be screened before transfer to downstream equipment.
UniTrak can combine its conveying and bulk bag handling equipment with selected ancillary components to develop a coordinated material-handling arrangement.
Connect bulk bag unloading with enclosed powder transfer. Add valves, feeders or weighing controls where the material or process requires regulated discharge or batching.
CATALYST HANDLING & VERTICAL ELEVATION
Receiving Hopper → Vibratory Feeder → TipTrak → Downstream Process
For fragile or high-value granular materials requiring controlled feeding and gentle elevation.
For applications requiring screening before material enters the next process.
WEIGHED BULK BAG DISCHARGE
Bagstander with Load Cells → Controlled Discharge → Selected Conveyor
Measure material discharged from the supported bulk bag as part of a batching process. Discharge controls and the downstream conveyor are selected around the ingredient and required transfer.
MULTI-STAGE CHEMICAL CONVEYING
Multiple UniTrak Conveyors → Feeders → Transitions → Process Equipment
For applications requiring movement between several points within a manufacturing operation.
UniTrak manufactures its core conveying and bulk bag handling equipment. Selected ancillary components may be sourced from specialist suppliers and incorporated into the agreed package.
The scope is material handling between process points, not the design or supply of an entire chemical production plant.
Chemical ingredient transfer for hot-melt adhesive production.
Beardow Adams required conveying equipment to transfer raw materials from a low-level feeding arrangement into elevated processing equipment. The conveyor handled raw ingredients before the downstream melting process, not molten adhesive.
UniTrak supplied a Powderflight aeromechanical conveyor configured around the available space and required transfer path.
Following the installation, the company ordered additional Powderflight equipment for its North American facility.
These are documented UniTrak applications. Individual installation outcomes are specific to the materials, equipment and operating conditions involved.
TEST THE MATERIAL BEFORE COMMITTING TO THE EQUIPMENT
Evaluate feeding, discharge, product condition and residual material before selecting equipment. UniTrak can use test findings alongside your throughput, layout and operating requirements to guide the conveying approach.
Depending on the application, testing can examine:
Feeding and discharge consistency
Material buildup or sticking
Particle degradation and generation of fines
Product retention
Conveying performance under the test conditions
Suitability of the proposed conveying arrangement
Contact UniTrak with the Safety Data Sheet and relevant handling information before sending samples. Testing acceptance and scope follow a material and safety review.
Start with the material and transfer requirement. TipTrak provides gentle conveying and elevation, Powderflight offers enclosed powder transfer with low product retention, and UniFlex provides compact batch or intermittent conveying. Chemical compatibility, abrasion, containment, throughput and layout guide the final equipment selection.
UniTrak can review applications involving hazardous chemical materials, but equipment suitability depends on the specific substance and operating conditions.
Material safety information, required containment, equipment construction and applicable safety requirements must be evaluated before a recommendation can be made.
Not every UniTrak product or configuration is suitable for hazardous service.
Certain UniTrak equipment configurations can be considered for corrosive chemical powders.
The selection of metals, coatings, seals and other product-contact components depends on the material's chemical properties and operating conditions.
A chemical compatibility review is required.
Enclosed conveying equipment can help reduce the release of material during transfer.
Effective dust control also depends on the inlet, discharge, equipment connections and any associated dust-management provisions.
Combustible or hazardous dust applications require additional engineering and safety review.
UniTrak can evaluate applications involving abrasive powders and granules.
Suitability depends on particle hardness, bulk density, conveying speed, equipment construction and expected operating conditions.
Material testing may help assess conveying behavior, although long-term wear cannot necessarily be predicted from a short test.
Yes. TipTrak’s gentle conveying action protects fragile catalyst particles during transfer and elevation. UniTrak also designs the feeding and discharge connections around the product. The Catalyst Trading Company application demonstrates this integrated approach.
Certain conveying methods may help limit segregation of suitable blended products.
However, performance depends on particle characteristics, the conveying method and the complete transfer arrangement.
Testing can help evaluate blend behavior before equipment selection.
Certain equipment configurations may incorporate features intended for applications involving combustible dust.
The appropriate equipment and protective measures depend on the material, area classification, operating conditions and applicable safety requirements.
Suitability must be confirmed through an application-specific engineering review.
Yes. Bagstander bulk bag handling equipment can be combined with receiving hoppers, valves, feeders and conveying equipment.
Dust containment, bag connection, material flow and operator requirements should be considered when developing the arrangement.
Yes. UniTrak can develop conveying arrangements that interface with compatible upstream and downstream equipment.
These may include mixers, blenders, mills, reactors, storage vessels and packaging equipment supplied by the customer or other manufacturers.
UniTrak's scope is the agreed conveying and material-handling equipment rather than the complete chemical process.
Material testing may be available following a review of the material and its associated hazards.
A Safety Data Sheet and other relevant handling information are required before testing can be considered.
Some hazardous or reactive materials may not be accepted for testing.
CHEMICAL CONVEYING RESOURCES
CONVEYING CAUSTIC OR ACIDIC CHEMICAL POWDERS
Understand the challenges associated with corrosive chemical powders, including equipment compatibility, containment and conveying-method selection.
Start with the material and the handling problem you need to solve.
Tell us what you're conveying, where it needs to go and what happens during the transfer process.
Our team can review your material characteristics, required throughput, equipment layout and operating conditions to help determine an appropriate conveying arrangement.
For chemical applications, useful information includes:
Material name and physical form
Bulk density and particle characteristics
Required conveying rate
Transfer distance and elevation
Dust containment requirements
Corrosion or abrasion concerns
Safety Data Sheet and relevant hazard information
Existing equipment and process connections
Whether you're developing a new chemical production process or replacing conveying equipment that creates dust, damages material or requires excessive maintenance, UniTrak can help evaluate the next step.
