Bulk materials

Bulk materials are solid, granular or powdered materials consisting of many individual particles. Under the influence of gravity, they behave like a continuous medium. They can flow freely, trickle or compact, and are typically stored, conveyed and metered in bulk.

Bulk materials include a wide variety of substances, such as powders, granules, crystals, pellets, seeds and mineral substances. Their properties are determined by particle size, particle shape, particle size distribution, surface texture, moisture content and interactions between the particles.

In process engineering, bulk materials can cause significant problems. This can be the case, for example, during mixing, wetting, agglomeration, vacuum drying or dosing, as well as during pneumatic conveying. But also during storage in silos and during dust removal. The behaviour of bulk solids is described by specific properties such as bulk density, flowability, dustiness, cohesion and angle of internal friction.