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BULK MATERIAL PROPERTIES REFERENCE

Properties of 40 common bulk materials

A searchable, filterable reference for the bulk-material properties you need at every step of conveyor design — density, angle of repose, recommended surcharge angle, and abrasiveness class. Use the search box to jump to a material, or filter by abrasiveness to scope idler and cover-compound selection.

40 materials shown
MaterialDensity (kg/m³)Repose angle (°)Surcharge (°)Abrasiveness
Alumina10402210Very High
Anthracite coal9452715Low
Ash, dry5603820High
Ash, wet8005025High
Barite28804022Medium
Bauxite (mine run)13603118Very High
Bituminous coal, sized8003518Low
Cement, clinker13603318Very High
Cement, Portland15003920Medium
Clay, dry fine17003520Medium
Clay, wet17504525Medium
Coke, breeze4003018Medium
Concrete, wet mix208000Medium
Copper ore20804525Very High
Fly ash8804222High
Granite, crushed15203520Very High
Gravel, dry17003518Very High
Gypsum, lumpy14403820Medium
Iron ore, crushed24003522Very High
Iron ore, pellets20803018Very High
Lime, ground9604322Medium
Limestone, crushed14403820High
Manganese ore20803922Very High
Phosphate rock12802615High
Potash, mine run11203520Medium
Quartz, crushed14403018Very High
Rice, hulled8003115Low
Salt, common dry coarse10403218Medium
Sand, dry16003018Very High
Sand, foundry14403520Very High
Sand, wet19204525Very High
Sinter, mill scale24003522Very High
Slag, blast furnace, crushed16803520Very High
Soda ash, light4803722Medium
Sugar, granulated8003018Low
Sulfur, lumpy12803018Low
Taconite, pellets20803018Very High
Wheat7702812Low
Wood chips2404525Low
Zinc ore, crushed24803822High

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How to use this reference

Density drives belt-width and motor-power sizing. The values listed are bulk densities (loose, freshly piled). For wet, compacted, or briquetted material, expect ±20 % from these numbers — always confirm against a site sample.

Angle of repose is the static slope a freshly piled material takes. Surcharge angle is what you should use for conveyor cross-section sizing — typically 5–10° below the angle of repose because the belt's motion knocks down the highest peaks of the pile.

Abrasiveness sets idler shell thickness, lagging selection and skirt-board lining. Low-abrasion materials (coal, grain) can run on standard rubber covers; Very High class (iron ore, sand, slag) needs ceramic-lagged pulleys, hardened idler shells and frequent inspection.

Abrasiveness class — what it changes

How the material's abrasiveness class drives selection of covers, lagging and idler shells.

ClassBelt coverPulley laggingIdler choice
LowStandard rubber, grade M or NPlain rubber 10 mmSteel shell, standard wall
MediumGrade M, thicker top coverDiamond rubber 12 mmSteel shell, +1 mm wall
HighGrade H, abrasion-resistantDiamond rubber 15 mmHardened steel shell
Very HighGrade Y or D, thick coverCeramic-faced 18 mmHardened or ceramic-lined shell

Using bulk material data correctly

  • Treating the density value as fixed. Moisture content can shift bulk density by ±20 %. Always cross-check against a representative site sample before final sizing.
  • Confusing repose angle with surcharge angle. Use the surcharge column for cross-section sizing — it is the practical limit for a moving belt, not a static pile.
  • Assuming abrasiveness drives only belt cover choice. It also drives idler shell hardness, pulley lagging type, skirt-board lining, and chute liner specification — design holistically.
  • Using these numbers for non-CEMA sources without conversion. Some European tables list dry-poured density; others give compacted; some list specific gravity (×1000 for kg/m³).
  • Ignoring lump-size effect. Two materials with the same bulk density can behave very differently if one is fine (sand) and the other is lumpy (crushed stone) — surcharge angle and belt-width minimum follow lump size, not density.

Need a material we haven't listed?

If you handle a material not in this 40-entry list — or if your site sample differs from catalogue values — BisonConvey can run a free bulk-properties analysis and incorporate it into a verified conveyor design. Send us a 1 kg sample and the basic conveyor parameters.

Request a material analysis

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