Bulk chemical materials — urea, carbon black on SMIALA – Big-Bag Transloading & Repackaging | PHS Magnum Poland

PTA (terephthalic acid) — feedstock for PET in bulk transport and transloading

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Definition

PTA (purified terephthalic acid) is a white, very fine powder that is one of the most important petrochemical feedstocks in the world — a key ingredient for the production of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyester fibres. Chemically it is 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid in purified form, supplied as a free-flowing powder with a strong tendency to dust and a sensitivity to moisture.

From the terminal’s perspective PTA is a feedstock, not a finished product. It is not the same as PET granulate, which we see at the end of the chain — it is its starting point. And it is precisely this feedstock nature, combined with the fine, dusting form, that determines how carefully PTA is handled at every stage of the road to the processor.

Carbon black — a dusting material: transloading, occupational safety and storage

Sun, 21 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Definition

Carbon black is a fine-grained carbon material with a very large specific surface area, produced by controlled, incomplete combustion or thermal decomposition of hydrocarbons, supplied in pelletised (beaded) form or as a fluffy powder, used above all as a reinforcing filler in rubber and tyres and as a black pigment in plastics, paints and inks.

From the terminal’s perspective carbon black is a material with two faces. In one form it behaves almost like granulate — it is transferred gently and controllably. In the other it is the lightest and dirtiest powder we come across, requiring full transloading discipline. The whole difference lies in the delivery form, which is why we always start the conversation about carbon black with it.

Plastic additives — stabilisers, fillers and antistatics in bulk form

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Definition

Plastic additives are substances introduced into a polymer in relatively small quantities to modify its processing and end-use properties — from resistance to heat and light, through flammability and rigidity, to slip and the accumulation of electrostatic charge. This family includes stabilisers, fillers, antistatics, flame retardants, slip and anti-blocking agents, plasticisers and nucleating agents.

From the terminal’s point of view additives are an interesting group, because they reach us in two completely different physical forms. Some are pure active substances in the form of a bulk, dusting powder, while others arrive already bound in a polymer carrier as granulate or masterbatch, which pours like an ordinary plastic. This distinction — powder or granulate — determines the entire organisation of transloading, which is why we always start with it.

Masterbatch and colour concentrates — additive granulate in transport and transloading

Wed, 06 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Definition

Masterbatch is a concentrated dye or functional additive embedded in a polymer carrier, supplied as granulate with a grain size close to the base plastics and dosed into them at a small share — most often a few percent — during processing. Instead of working with a pure, dusting pigment or powder additive, the processor adds ready granulate that disperses evenly in the plastic melt.

From the terminal’s perspective, masterbatch is a material with an important logistical feature: it flows through the same stream as the base granulate, often together with it, and is handled almost identically. The difference lies not in the physics of the transfer but in the weight of the individual batch and in the absolute requirement of cleanliness — because a few percent of concentrate decides the quality of the whole product.

Tonsil and bleaching earths — mineral adsorbents in bulk transport and transloading

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Definition

Bleaching earth (in German Bleicherde) is a mineral adsorbent obtained from montmorillonite clay — most often from bentonite raw material — subjected to acid activation. Its task is to purify and decolourise edible and industrial oils: it removes dyes, oxidation products, phospholipids, soaps and trace metals. Tonsil is one of the most recognisable trade brands of bleaching earths; in our fleet the Tonsil 571 FF grade appears regularly — a finely ground powder with a high decolourising capacity.