Cement
Safer storage solution
Portasilo’s technical expertise delivers safe, efficient ferrous sulphate
storage and precision-dosing system for Quinn Cement – right, first time
To comply with EU legislation, Quinn Cement needed to upgrade
its plant at Ballyconnell to allow ferrous sulphate to be added
safely and efficiently.
For some time, wet cement had been linked with skin
allergies such as dermatitis. An offending element within the
cement was identified as Chrome V1, which can be reduced to a
more acceptable level by the addition of chemicals such as
ferrous sulphate. The acid content of this chemical means that it
needs to be handled with extreme caution. Quinn Cement
approached trusted global silo specialist Portasilo for a solution.
Calling on more than 50 years of powder-handling knowledge
and technical expertise, Portasilo has developed proven systems
for handling ferrous sulphate, taking into consideration the
material’s flowability, moisture content and heat requirements.
Portasilo’s 60-acre manufacturing facility in York
Paul Carron, engineering manager at Quinn Cement, says:
“We chose Portasilo to supply our ferrous sulphate storage and a full site survey, Portasilo devised a ferrous sulphate storage
feeding system because of their successful record of providing and dosing system for the plant. It includes a silo with a working
systems for this product. We met Portasilo and gave them our capacity of 84m
3
to store 100 tonnes of ferrous sulphate. The
requirements based on the tonnage of material we expected to silo roof is fitted with a pressure-relief valve for ATEX-compliant
hold in stock and they went away to develop a solution.” explosion protection, a high-level probe, access hatch and a filter
After assessing Quinn Cement’s requirements and carrying out unit with pressure switch and humidity transmitter to monitor
Portasilo provided a bespoke ferrous sulphate handling solution for
essential humidity levels in the silo.
Quinn Cement
The silo itself is constructed from mild steel, with a stainless
steel lower cone. The shell and upper cone of the silo are
insulated and clad to prevent large temperature fluctuations,
minimising moisture formation within the vessel.
The silo is filled directly from bulk road tankers via an inlet
pipe. A dehumidifier is connected to the inlet pipe to ensure that
the humidity within the silo is constantly maintained at the
optimum level for this sensitive material.
The silo is built on an independent support structure close to
the cement mill. Ferrous sulphate is transported from the silo
into the milling process via two stainless steel screw conveyors
configured in tandem. These conveyors are used to top up a
gravimetric feeder, which discharges ferrous sulphate into the
cement mix. Quinn Cement is able to carefully control the rate at
which ferrous sulphate is added, ensuring that the correct
proportions are maintained within the cement.
Portasilo has vast experience of analysing products such as
ferrous sulphate in its laboratory. It was able to use this
expertise to assess the properties of the potentially hazardous
chemical, ensuring it was handled safely at all times without any
flow, heat or moisture problems.
Paul adds: “The Portasilo solution has certainly fulfiled all our
requirements. When it came to setting up the system on our site,
the installation crew were excellent. Portasilo proved to be a very
good company to deal with. They discussed every aspect of the
project with us and the after-sales service has been excellent.”
For more information contact Portasilo on tel: +44 (0)1904
624872 or visit: www.portasilo.co.uk
28 Solids & Bulk Handling February 2010 www.solidsandbulk.co.uk
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