If you’re working in an oil, distillery, brewer, semiconductor, and gas company, you can’t avoid using chemical pumps. These pumps are vital for disposing of chemicals and are designed with materials that can handle substances having different levels of viscosity, abrasiveness, and corrosiveness. You can purchase a chemical pump from a local shop or online shop like PumpBiz. In this article, you’ll learn the components of a chemical pump.
Construction Materials
Because chemical pumps transport chemicals, it’s vital to make them using non-corrosive materials. Most chemicals are corrosive and may wear out pumps quickly. Acids like hydrochloric and sulphuric are notoriously corrosive. It’s vital to use a pump having a material that’s compatible with the chemical it’s transporting.
Materials from making pumps are categorized into two: non-metallic and metallic. Metallic pumps can be further classified as non-ferrous and ferrous. Most industries use pumps made of carbon steel, ductile iron, and cast iron.
However, the most preferred metallic chemical pumps are those made from stainless steel and alloys having titanium because they effectively protect the pump against corrosion. On the other hand, non-metallic pumps are made from glass, ceramics, synthetic rubber, plastic, and natural rubber. The most preferred under this category is plastic.
Performance Specification And Pump Sizing
According to IEEE GlobalSpec, the size and performance of chemical pumps, is one of the most essential criteria that engineers look at when selecting a pump. A 2016 review of chemical pump searches indicates that most engineers and technical buyers prefer purchasing pumps that give a maximum discharge flow. Second to the discharge flow is the maximum discharge pressure, media temperature, and discharge size.
A wrongly sized pump may cause operation hiccups within the pumps transfer system. That’s why most pumps are slightly oversized for safety reasons. Also, an oversized pump may cause motors to be loaded during operation. No engineer would want to operate a lightly loaded motor because it gives a lower power that increases operating costs.
Research indicates that using oversized pumps costs industries billions of dollars annually. But the problem of oversized pumps can be attributed to multiple contractors. When every contractor gives their perceived specification, by the time the pump reaches the final contractor, the capacity requirements will greatly vary from the actual capacity needed.
Oversizing a pump may also lead to other consequences like premature bearing failures, excessive vibration, cavitation issues, and an increase in operating temperature.
Undersized chemical pumps also have issues, especially if they’re cavity or progressive pumps. The flow of these pumps depend on the cavity’s size. A small pump with a smaller cavity will pump faster, thus straining the pump’s components, which will result into premature failure, increased wear, and reduced suction capabilities.
Certifications
Chemical pump manufacturing companies must meet certain standards and regulations when making these pumps. Every pump must be certified and approved by the NACE, API, ANSI, and ASME before it can be used in a gas refinery, boiler, pressure vessel, and other critical applications.
Conclusion
Chemical pumps are composed of various things such as their construction materials, sizing and performance specifications, and certifications. It’s essential to be the right type of pump for performing various tasks because they’re formulated using materials that handle different chemicals.
