Carbon black: The “Clean Cycle of Packaging”
Demand for carbon black is expected to grow by about 6 percent annually in the coming years. This ultralight powder is used in a variety of applications across different industries.
For example, it is used as a highly effective pigment and dye in the printing industry, as a reinforcing agent in rubber and other polymer materials, in electronic components and batteries due to its electrical conductivity, and in gas or liquid absorption processes like air and water filtration.
However, carbon black is notoriously difficult to package. Its fine particle size, low bulk density, and high air retention often lead to dust contamination during conventional packaging methods, causing the surrounding equipment to become contaminated and requiring costly and labour-intensive cleanups.
Additionally, employees are at risk, as prolonged exposure can lead to chronic respiratory issues. Another common problem is “bulky”, irregularly shaped bags that are difficult to stack due to excess air being trapped during the packaging process.
Greif-Velox offers a solution with a system specifically designed for the product, enabling the efficient, clean, and compact packaging of carbon black.
The system
With Greif-Velox’s VeloVac technology, carbon black producers can benefit from dust-free packaging in a fully enclosed vacuum chamber.
By compacting carbon black up to four times its original volume, transportation and logistics costs can be reduced by up to 75%, significantly lowering the carbon footprint.
The dust-free packaging also reduces cleaning costs and protects workers from harmful dust exposure. For applications that require a highly pure product, such as battery production, packaging in a sealed vacuum chamber ensures there is no contamination.
Greif-Velox continues: “The risk of transport damage is minimized, as the bags are stably stackable, creating uniform pallet loads. Compared to pump packers, the VeloVac technology has lower maintenance costs and saves space, as complex maintenance work and calibration of vacuum rollers are no longer necessary. Finally, the use of robotic automation to remove the bags from the vacuum chamber improves workplace ergonomics and allows for labour cost savings.”
The bag
The Clean Cycle only works perfectly if the packaging material meets the high demands of both the machinery and the product. Greif-Velox, in collaboration with its customers and renowned packaging manufacturer dy-pack Verpackungen Gustav Dyckerhoff GmbH, has developed paper bags that are perfectly matched to both the product and the machine, ensuring maximum packaging efficiency and optimal product protection.
This development offers numerous benefits. A more streamlined development and validation process can result in time and cost savings of up to 50%. The optimized packaging concept allows for maximum utilization of transport space without the risk of abrasion damage. A perfectly aligned process ensures that disputes over responsibilities between machine and bag manufacturers are a thing of the past, reducing the costs of complaints and boosting brand reputation. Overall, the partnership between Greif-Velox and dy-pack provides a tailored solution that increases efficiency while ensuring product quality and protection.
Presentation on the Clean Cycle at Solids
Sebastian Pohl, Managing Director of Greif-Velox, will give a presentation on “The CLEAN CYCLE of Packaging” at the Solids trade fair in Dortmund on October 9th, at 12:30 PM in the SolutionCenter in Hall 6. Anyone who would like to discuss the topic in person with Greif-Velox can visit the company at their booth 5-N17.
Sebastian Pohl, Managing Director of Greif-Velox
Vacuum Packer Greif-Velox VeloVac
