What is a calcium silicate project report?
A calcium silicate project report is a detailed project report (DPR) for a plant that reacts sodium silicate with lime to make a light, absorbent calcium silicate powder. It sets out the process route, machinery, raw materials, buyers, project cost, means of finance, five-year projections, DSCR and break-even that a bank or investor reviews before funding.
Chemical entrepreneurs, existing silicate and lime producers adding a product, and their lenders use it to size the plant and test whether it can repay a term loan.
Also known as: calcium silicate business plan, project report on calcium silicate, synthetic calcium silicate plant DPR, calcium silicate manufacturing plant report.
Calcium silicate manufacturing plant cost in India
Our sample report models a plant making 5.4 metric tonnes per day (MT per day) of calcium silicate powder, or 1,782 MT a year at full capacity. It runs 330 days a year, starts at 60% capacity and reaches 80% in Year 5, selling at ₹66,600 per MT.
Plant and machinery is just over half the project cost. The spray dryer is the largest single item, so the drying capacity you choose moves the budget more than any other decision.
| Land and site development | 34.56 |
|---|---|
| Building and civil works | 117.93 |
| Plant and machinery | 263.40 |
| Other fixed assets | 36.24 |
| Contingencies | 19.07 |
| Preliminary and pre-operative | 11.78 |
| Working capital margin | 26.91 |
| Total | 509.89 |
| Promoter's contribution (25%) | 127.47 |
|---|---|
| Term loan from bank (75%) | 382.42 |
| Cash credit limit (separate) | 80.72 |
| Total project cost | 509.89 |
Term loan at 10.5% with a 6-month moratorium and 54 monthly instalments. Lowest DSCR is 1.68, in Year 2. All figures are illustrative.
Calcium silicate manufacturing process, step by step
The plant is a wet chemical process followed by drying. Most of the product's value comes from its pore structure, which is set in the reactor and the ageing tank, not in the mill.
- Lime slaking
High-calcium quicklime is slaked with water and screened, because unburnt grit and sand end up as specks and raise the insoluble content of the powder.
- Silicate dilution
Liquid sodium silicate is diluted with soft water to a fixed strength; hard water adds calcium and magnesium salts you cannot wash out later.
- Precipitation
Silicate and milk of lime are dosed into stirred reactors at a controlled rate and temperature; these settings decide particle size and how much oil the powder absorbs.
- Ageing and washing
The slurry is held to build the porous structure, then washed so that soluble sodium salts and the alkalinity of the cake stay within the buyer's limits.
- Filtration
A filter press separates the wet cake; the sodium-bearing mother liquor goes to effluent treatment.
- Spray drying
The cake is re-slurried and spray dried into a light, free-flowing powder; outlet moisture is checked against the grade's loss-on-drying limit.
- Milling and packing
The powder is milled and air classified to the mesh the buyer specifies, then packed in multi-wall paper or HDPE bags that keep out moisture.
Which process route should a new calcium silicate plant use?
The Food Chemicals Codex recognises two ways of making synthetic calcium silicate. They differ in the silica source and in the equipment the plant needs.
| Point of comparison | Precipitation route | Hydrothermal route |
|---|---|---|
| Silica source | Liquid sodium silicate | Natural or calcined diatomaceous earth |
| Reaction | Sodium silicate with lime in stirred reactors | Diatomaceous earth with hydrated lime under heat and pressure |
| Main equipment | Reactors, filter press, spray dryer | Pressure reactors or autoclaves, dryer |
| By-product | Sodium-bearing mother liquor to treat | Less liquid effluent |
| Raw material access in India | Sodium silicate is made in many states | Depends on a steady supply of diatomaceous earth |
Why the sample uses precipitation: both raw materials are easy to buy in India and the plant runs at normal pressure, so it suits a first chemical unit. A sodium silicate maker can also integrate backward and cut its largest raw material cost.
Raw materials for calcium silicate production
Sodium silicate is 64% of raw material cost in our sample report, and raw materials together are 45.6% of sales. Its price follows soda ash and fuel costs, so the report should test a rise in silicate price against DSCR.
| Raw material | Share of cost | Year 3 (₹ lakh) |
|---|---|---|
| Liquid sodium silicate | 64% | 242.50 |
| High-calcium quicklime | 31% | 117.46 |
| Flocculant and process aids | 5% | 18.94 |
| Total | 100% | 378.90 |
Ask suppliers for the silica to soda ratio and solids content of the silicate, and the available lime content of the quicklime. Both change the amount you need per tonne.
Machinery for a calcium silicate plant
| Machine | What it does | Sample cost (₹ lakh) |
|---|---|---|
| Lime slaker and milk of lime tank | Slakes quicklime and holds screened lime slurry | 21.07 |
| Silicate storage and dilution tanks | Stores and dilutes sodium silicate | 18.44 |
| Precipitation reactors with agitators | Reacts silicate and lime under control | 57.95 |
| Filter press with wash system | Separates and washes the wet cake | 36.88 |
| Spray dryer with hot air generator | Dries slurry to a light powder | 68.48 |
| Pulveriser and air classifier | Mills powder to the buyer's mesh | 26.34 |
| Bag filter and packing machine | Catches fines and fills bags | 18.44 |
| Effluent treatment for mother liquor | Treats sodium-bearing filtrate | 15.80 |
| Total plant and machinery | 263.40 | |
Costs are the sample report's estimates for a 5.4 MT per day line. Reactors and wetted parts in stainless steel cost more but are often required for food grade. Get current quotations before you finalise.
Utilities and manpower for the plant
Drying a dilute slurry takes a lot of heat, so fuel is the utility to plan first. The values below are the sample report's assumptions.
| Power and fuel | 7.6% of sales; fuel for the spray dryer's hot air generator is the largest part |
|---|---|
| Water | Soft water for silicate dilution and cake washing, plus a softening plant if the source water is hard |
| Manpower | 17 people: 3 in management and supervision, 6 skilled operators, 8 semi-skilled and unskilled workers |
| Wage bill | ₹39.42 lakh in Year 1 |
| Stocks and credit | 30 days of raw material, 15 days of finished goods and 45 days of credit to buyers |
Licences, approvals and product specifications
| Business registration | Udyam (MSME) registration and GST registration |
|---|---|
| Pollution board consent | Consent to establish and consent to operate from the State Pollution Control Board; the effluent plan for the mother liquor and the dust control at the dryer are what the board reviews |
| Factory licence | Under the Factories Act where worker and power thresholds apply; rules vary by state |
| Food grade | Calcium silicate is food additive INS 552, an anticaking agent with JECFA specifications; FSSAI licence where food-grade product is supplied |
| Product specification | Food Chemicals Codex monograph (for example, pH of a 1 in 20 slurry between 8.4 and 12.5), or the buyer's pharmacopoeia or paint specification |
Requirements differ by state and by grade. Confirm current rules with the State Pollution Control Board and FSSAI before you apply.
Who buys calcium silicate in India?
Buyers want a powder that soaks up liquids and keeps blends flowing. Salt refiners and food powder makers use it against caking. Feed premix and agrochemical formulators use it to turn liquid actives into dry powder, and paint makers use it as a filler and flatting agent.
- Iodised and refined salt producers
- Food powder and seasoning makers
- Paint and coating manufacturers
- Animal feed premix and agrochemical formulators
- Pharmaceutical and nutraceutical companies
- Rubber and plastics compounders
How a new plant wins orders: buyers approve a supplier on oil and water absorption, bulk density and purity, and they test each lot. A plant that holds these steady batch after batch keeps customers even when a cheaper lot is on offer.
Mistakes that weaken a calcium silicate project report
- One price for every grade
Food and pharma grades sell well above industrial filler grade. A report that applies the top price to all output overstates revenue and DSCR.
- Under-sizing dryer fuel
The spray dryer evaporates far more water than the weight of powder it makes. A low fuel estimate is the most common reason the plant's cost per tonne comes out wrong.
- No plan for the mother liquor
Every batch leaves sodium-bearing filtrate. Without treatment or recovery costed in, the pollution consent is delayed and running cost is understated.
- Ignoring buyer approval time
Food, pharma and paint buyers trial samples before they place orders. Sales in Year 1 should allow for months of approval, with receivables at 45 days on top.
How NPCS helps you plan a calcium silicate plant
- Grade mix and capacityDecide how much food, pharma and industrial grade to make, and size the reactors and dryer for it.
- Process route and suppliersCompare precipitation and hydrothermal routes, and source quotations for the dryer, reactors and filter press.
- Bank-ready project reportProjections, DSCR, sensitivity to silicate and fuel prices, and working capital in your lender's format.
- Effluent and approvalsMother liquor treatment, plant layout and the approvals list for your state.
NPCS's client list includes 4 assignments on calcium silicate and 269 in specialty chemicals. The NPCS project team, led by founder Ajay Kumar Gupta, has prepared project reports for chemical plants since 1994.
What's inside the calcium silicate sample report
- Introduction
- Uses and applications
- Market potential
- Manufacturing process
- Raw materials
- Plant and machinery
- Land, building and utilities
- Manpower
- Licences and approvals
- Project cost and means of finance
- Working capital
- Projected profitability
- Cash flow statement
- Projected balance sheet
- Depreciation
- Term loan repayment
- Debt service coverage
- Break-even analysis
- Financial ratios
- Key assumptions
- Conclusion
- Monthly loan repayment schedule
18 pages, five-year projections, illustrative figures.
Open sample reportFree sample or a report for your project?
| What you get | Free sample | NPCS report for your project |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity and location | Typical unit | Your capacity, site and state |
| Figures | Illustrative | Built on current prices and quotations |
| Machinery suppliers and quotations | No | Yes |
| Market survey for your region | No | Yes |
| Bank or scheme format (PMEGP, term loan) | No | Yes |
| Use for a loan application | No | Yes |
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Calcium Silicate project report: frequently asked questions
What is the cost of a calcium silicate manufacturing plant in India?
Our sample report models a 5.4 MT per day plant at a total project cost of ₹510 lakh, including land, building, machinery and working capital margin. As an indicative range, a 2–3 MT per day unit needs about ₹2.5–4 crore and a 10 MT per day plant about ₹7–9 crore. The spray dryer and reactors decide most of the difference.
What raw materials are used to make calcium silicate?
The precipitation route uses liquid sodium silicate and quicklime, with small amounts of flocculant and process aids. In our sample report sodium silicate is 64% of raw material cost and quicklime 31%. Soft water is needed in large volumes for dilution and washing, so water quality matters as much as the chemicals.
Is calcium silicate manufacturing profitable?
In our illustrative sample, a 5.4 MT per day plant earns a 24% return on investment in Year 3. It breaks even at 35% of capacity and pays back in about 3.4 years. Real profit depends on sodium silicate prices, fuel cost for the spray dryer and how much of the output is sold as higher-priced food or pharma grade.
What is the difference between synthetic calcium silicate and wollastonite?
Wollastonite is a natural calcium silicate mineral that is mined and ground. Synthetic calcium silicate is made in a plant, either by reacting sodium silicate with lime or by reacting diatomaceous earth with lime under heat and pressure. The synthetic powder is far lighter and absorbs much more liquid, which is why food, feed and paint buyers use it.
Is calcium silicate used in food, and what is INS 552?
Yes. INS 552 is the international number for calcium silicate as a food additive, where it works as an anticaking agent in salt and food powders. The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) has evaluated it and set specifications. A plant selling food grade must test every batch against those specifications and the buyer's own limits.
Which bank loan suits a calcium silicate plant?
A plant of this size usually takes an MSME term loan with a cash credit limit for working capital. Eligible micro and small enterprises can get collateral-free cover under CGTMSE, whose guarantee ceiling is ₹10 crore as of October 2026. The bank will read the DSCR, break-even and raw material assumptions in your project report closely.
Is the calcium silicate project report PDF free, and can I use it for a loan?
The sample PDF is free to view and download. It is an illustrative report that shows the format and depth of an NPCS report. Its figures are representative and not from a real project, so do not submit it to a bank. For a loan, NPCS prepares a report for your own capacity, grade mix, location and lender.
Does this report cover calcium silicate boards or blocks?
No. This report covers calcium silicate powder made by chemical precipitation, used as an anticaking agent, filler and carrier. Insulation boards and building blocks use different raw materials, autoclaves and presses, and their markets are construction and thermal insulation. NPCS prepares separate project reports for those products.
Sources and references
- Calcium silicate (INS 552): JECFA evaluationsWorld Health Organization, checked Oct 2026
- Calcium silicate: JECFA summary of evaluationsInternational Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS INCHEM), checked Oct 2026
- Calcium Silicate monograph, Food Chemicals CodexUnited States Pharmacopeia, checked Oct 2026
- Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small EnterprisesCGTMSE, Ministry of MSME and SIDBI, checked Oct 2026
The NPCS project team, led by Ajay Kumar Gupta
This page and its sample report are prepared and reviewed by the NPCS project team, which has written techno-economic feasibility studies and detailed project reports since 1994.
Ajay Kumar Gupta founded Niir Project Consultancy Services (NPCS) and leads the organisation. With 40 years of experience in MSME project consulting, he has built the team that has delivered more than 28,000 project reports for clients worldwide, helping entrepreneurs plan and finance profitable manufacturing businesses.
- Published
- Last updated
- Next review
- Oct 2027
- Reviewed by
- NPCS project team
This page is reviewed every 12 months, or sooner when scheme limits, GST rates, BIS rules or pollution categories change. The sample report is illustrative: its figures are generated from industry-typical ratios for a unit of this size, checked so every statement balances, and are not taken from any client project.