This sludge vacuum test was run with a TX 400 S, a scraping pipe, and a 50 mm antistatic hose. The customer sent wet plastic and rubber fines mixed with water in a 55-gal drum sample, and the material behaved like a thick, greasy fine-sand slurry.
Sludge Vacuum Test Setup
The test setup used the TX 400 S heavy-duty three-phase vacuum with a 50 mm antistatic hose and scraping pipe. The material was collected directly from the drum, and a small floor spill was also vacuumed during the test. In the video, the wet fines can be seen moving through the somewhat see-through antistatic hose during pickup.
This was a quick material and unit test, but it showed the important behavior of the sample. Wet plastic and rubber fines can act differently than dry plastic dust, pellets, flakes, or regrind. When fine material is suspended in water and begins to behave like sludge, hose diameter, tool opening, material density, and the selected vacuum configuration all matter.
What This Wet Plastic and Rubber Fines Test Showed
The TX 400 S was tested here as a heavy-duty recovery option for a wet fines material, not as a combustible dust application. For dry plastic or rubber dust, the material and facility risk profile should be reviewed separately. For wet slurry or sludge-like material, the discussion should focus on pickup behavior, hose/tool fit, collection volume, liquid handling, and whether float protection or other wet pickup options are needed.
See more Depureco Labs material tests or compare heavy-duty three-phase industrial vacuums for production cleanup, wet fines recovery, and difficult material testing.
Watch the TX 400 S wet plastic and rubber fines sludge test on YouTube.
