In modern recycling facilities, moving materials efficiently between processing stages is just as critical as the recycling process itself. Pneumatic conveying systems have become the backbone of material handling in battery recycling plants, offering enclosed, dust-free transportation of powders, granules, and fragments through pipeline networks. San Lan Technologies Co., Ltd, a professional manufacturer of e-waste recycling machinery since 2007, designs and builds specialized pneumatic conveying equipment tailored for lithium battery recycling operations.
Understanding Pneumatic Conveying System Types
Before examining San Lan's specific offerings, it helps to understand how pneumatic conveying systems are broadly classified. These systems transport dry bulk materials through pipelines using air or gas, and they generally fall into two main categories based on material concentration and air velocity.
Dilute Phase Conveying
In dilute phase systems, materials are suspended in a high-velocity airstream, typically operating at conveying velocities between 15 and 30 meters per second. These systems use lower pressure and are well-suited for lightweight, non-abrasive materials such as plastic pellets, separator films, and fine powders. Dilute phase conveying can operate under positive pressure (pressure systems) or negative pressure (vacuum systems), making it versatile for various plant layouts.
Dense Phase Conveying
Dense phase systems move materials at lower velocities, often between 2 and 8 meters per second, with the product forming slugs or plugs within the pipeline. This approach minimizes material degradation and wear on pipeline components, making it ideal for abrasive or heavy materials such as metal granules and lead paste. Dense phase conveying typically requires higher pressure and more precise system tuning.
Pressure vs. Vacuum Systems
Beyond phase classification, pneumatic conveyors differ by pressure direction. Pressure (positive) systems push material from a single feed point to one or multiple destinations, excelling at moving materials over longer distances. Vacuum (negative) systems pull material from multiple pickup points to a single collection destination, offering superior dust containment and making them preferable for hazardous or fine materials.
San Lan's Plastic Pneumatic Conveying System
San Lan Technologies manufactures a specialized plastic pneumatic conveying system designed specifically for lithium battery recycling plants. This system addresses one of the most challenging material handling tasks in battery recycling: transporting lightweight plastic separator films that are generated during the crushing and separation process.
When lithium-ion batteries undergo mechanical breaking and separation, the plastic separator films that once isolated the anode and cathode become a significant byproduct. These films are thin, lightweight, and prone to static buildup, making them difficult to handle with conventional mechanical conveyors. San Lan's pneumatic conveying system uses vacuum or low-pressure airflow to collect these plastic fragments from the separation unit and transport them through enclosed pipelines to downstream processing equipment.
The system is typically integrated with a plastic hydraulic briquetter, which compresses the collected plastic films into dense blocks with a volume compression ratio of approximately 10:1. This integration allows recycling plants to efficiently manage plastic waste while reducing storage space and transportation costs.
Application in Lithium Battery Recycling Plants
San Lan's plastic pneumatic conveying system is a core component of the company's comprehensive lithium battery recycling plant solutions. The complete recycling line, with capacities ranging from 500 to 2,500 kg per hour, includes discharging units, pre-crushing equipment, secondary granulation, magnetic separation, and black powder separation stages.
Within this integrated system, the pneumatic conveying unit serves a specific but vital role. After the initial crushing and separation steps remove the black mass (containing nickel, cobalt, and graphite), copper, aluminum, and iron, the remaining plastic separator films are pneumatically conveyed away from the main processing line. This separation prevents plastic contamination of the recovered metal streams and ensures that each material fraction achieves maximum purity.
The enclosed nature of pneumatic conveying also provides significant safety benefits when handling lithium battery materials. By keeping plastic fragments contained within pipelines, the system minimizes dust generation and reduces the risk of static discharge, which is a critical concern in facilities processing flammable lithium-ion battery components.
System Design and Integration Considerations
San Lan Technologies approaches pneumatic conveying system design as part of its broader engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) capabilities for recycling plants. The company offers customized system layouts based on customer facility constraints, production targets, and material characteristics.
Key design factors for the plastic pneumatic conveying system include pipeline diameter selection based on plastic fragment size and throughput requirements, airflow velocity optimization to prevent pipeline blockage while minimizing energy consumption, filtration and dust collection integration to maintain clean exhaust air, and material compatibility with the chemical properties of lithium battery plastics.
For facilities requiring higher capacity or handling multiple material streams, San Lan can configure multiple conveying lines operating in parallel or design systems with multiple pickup points feeding a central collection station. The company's technical team, which includes mechanical engineers with over 15 years of experience in e-waste recycling machinery, works directly with customers to integrate pneumatic conveying into existing or new plant layouts.
Complementary Equipment in San Lan's Portfolio
While the plastic pneumatic conveying system represents San Lan's primary pneumatic conveying product, the company manufactures several related pieces of equipment that work in concert with this system. The plastic hydraulic briquetter, mentioned earlier, forms a direct downstream processing pair with the conveying system. Additionally, San Lan produces air pollution control systems designed specifically for lithium battery recycling plants, which manage the exhaust air and dust generated during crushing and separation operations.
For lead acid battery recycling applications, San Lan offers a different range of material handling and separation equipment, including breaking and separation systems, filter presses, and lead smelting furnaces. Although these plants do not typically use the plastic pneumatic conveying system (since lead acid batteries contain different plastic types and processing requirements), the company's expertise in enclosed material handling carries over across its entire product line.
Conclusion
San Lan Technologies focuses its pneumatic conveying equipment manufacturing on a specialized niche: the plastic pneumatic conveying system for lithium battery recycling plants. Rather than offering a broad catalog of generic conveying systems, the company has developed a targeted solution that addresses the specific challenges of handling lightweight plastic separator films generated during lithium-ion battery recycling.
This specialized approach aligns with San Lan's broader business strategy of providing complete, integrated recycling plant solutions with customized designs and one-stop purchasing. For recycling operators evaluating material handling options, understanding that San Lan's pneumatic conveying expertise is concentrated in plastic film handling for battery applications helps inform equipment selection and system integration decisions. Companies interested in learning more about system specifications or requesting a customized plant design can contact San Lan Technologies directly through their website at www.san-lan.com.
