Solving Soda Ash Handling Challenges: Jenco’s Breakthrough for Avient

In Early 2023, Avient Corporation, a key player in engineered polymers and sustainable material solutions, faced a significant operational hurdle at their Barnsley facility. The challenge presented was to efficiently manage the conveyance of Sodium carbonate, commonly known as Soda Ash, at a rate of 2,000 kg per hour. This chemical, crucial for its role in the textile industry, especially in dyeing processes, required precise handling due to its hygroscopic nature, which leads to moisture absorption and clumping.

Jenco was enlisted to design a system that could convey 500 kg bags of Soda Ash into process mixers within a 15-minute window, aligning with the continuous production demands. This system necessitated a 20-metre common pipework line with an 8-metre vertical lift to both mixers, drawing material from a single source. To achieve this, Jenco planned to install 30-litre hopper loaders, linked to a centralised vacuum pump and filtration system, all controlled by a new Siemens PLC.

Carl Wardle, Jenco's Engineering Director, described the initial ease of handling the material, “You get that in a 25 kilo bag and you cut that open and you put it in your hand and you think, Oh, that flows absolutely beautiful. That's no problems whatsoever with that. We could convey that all day long."

However, the task's complexity escalated with the larger, 500 kg bags. “It comes in a 500 kilo bag. And the material is hygroscopic. It's not being stored as you'd ideally want it to be stored. There are bags being stored on top of that bag, on top of that bag. It becomes a very different beast," Wardle explained. This necessitated a re-evaluation of the filtering and pump systems to handle the material's altered state when compacted and stacked in storage.

Through rigorous research and design, Jenco Controls utilised their design algorithm software, which considered the material's bulk density, required throughput, pipework sizes, and conveying distances. The initial system recommended a 7.5 kW side channel pump with a 3.5 m² centralised filter, along with an additional 2 m² filter inside the hopper loaders.

However, Wardle highlighted that the Soda Ash's hygroscopic reaction led to unexpected blockages. "The initial 5 mins of conveying was hard work to achieve the goal weight of 38-42kg in a single cycle. The material was so hard on all surrounding sides, the standard head struggled to deliver the amount required."

To counteract these issues, Jenco Controls implemented several key changes. They increased the diameter of the pipework, upgraded the filters within the hopper loaders, and installed a new positive displacement vacuum pump to handle the denser material.

The system's performance significantly improved with these modifications. "We also increased the filtration surface area; this was massively increased to 9.5 m²... and the added design feature of compressed air cleaning across the filters whilst under vacuum," Wardle added. This solution, known as reverse jet filtration, had a dramatic effect, reducing filter blockages and enhancing air flow, which in turn allowed for a balanced flow of product to air mix.

The culmination of Jenco's efforts resulted in 500 kg bags of Soda Ash being transferred between mixers in 12-15 minutes, achieving the required throughput and solving Avient's operational challenge.