The consumption of poly (vinyl) chloride (PVC) in Western Europe is approximately 3.5 million tonnes. Manufacturers of the basic PVC powder handle most of their product by pneumatic conveying and bulk storage in silos. It is common for a PVC manufacturer to have storage capacity in excess of 5,000 tonnes. The processor who converts the PVC powder into final products such as pipe profiles, film, cable covering and shoe soles and uppers often receives, conveys and stores his raw material in bulk. Thus most PVC powders are conveyed in at least two pneumatic systems and stored in at least two bulk silos before being finally processed into an artifact.
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