IRON ORE, COAL & OTHER MATERIALS FLOWABILITY TESTS INDICATE POLYSTEEL® OUTPERFORMS STAINLESS STEEL

Whether designing a new storage bin, bunker or silo, or modifying an existing hopper to improve flow performance, the engineer must have knowledge of the bulk material characteristics being handled and understand the flow of solid theories.

Traditionally, 304-2B stainless steel has been the hopper wall material chosen by the engineer for a new construction because of its long history of use. To solve flow problems in existing hoppers, the typical “fix” has been the use of loud, noisy flow promotion devices. The theory is that if you beat on the hopper or shake it, you will achieve mass flow. However, in many cases, these remedies are not the answer.

POLYSTEEL®, a hopper lining material recognized worldwide for its low coefficient of friction, offers an alternative solution -one that exhibits better flow promotion properties and performance than 304-2B stainless steel in many applications. In many retrofit situations, experience has been that POLYSTEEL® is installed on top of existing 304-2B stainless steel liners because the stainless steel-lined hoppers were not providing satisfactory or acceptable performance.