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WHY FINDING THE RIGHT CHEMICAL PUMP FOR YOUR APPLICATION IS VITAL

Selecting the right pump for an application can be challenging. Firstly, there’s a broad range of pump technologies available from Magnetic Drive to Air Operated Double Diaphragm to Mechanically Sealed. Then there are pumps designed to be used with specific equipment, such as Drum Pumps. Plus, you also need to understand the detail of your application and the properties of the chemicals being transferred.

Making the wrong decision can be costly; failure of the pump will lead to downtime, loss of production and potential customer service issues. So, finding a reputable chemical pump supplier who offers free technical advice and can recommend the right pump for your application is a must.

HOW TO FIND THE RIGHT PUMP

To ensure that your chemical pump is right for your application, here are five things you should consider:

1. Power source
   Do you need an electric chemical pump or a pneumatic chemical pump?
   An electric chemical transfer pump requires mains electric supply while a pneumatically driven pump will require a compressed air supply to power the pump. Air-operated diaphragm pumps are a popular choice for applications demanding an acid transfer pumps. Both these options offer an internal mechanism that’s leak-free and internal component parts are available in a range of corrosion-resistant materials.
2. What’s the matter?
   Will the chemical being transferred be purely liquid or contain a mix of liquids and solids (slurry)?
   Viscosity describes the resistance of a fluid to movement (how easily it will flow), and typically slurry is more viscous than a pure liquid. It is of vital importance that the pump selection considers this. Furthermore, solid content within a liquid can be abrasive potentially causing internal wear and mechanical seal issues, so pump design and material choice are both key.
3. Suction conditions
   Does the application demand a flooded suction pump or is a self-priming pump required?
   Flooded suction refers to the liquid pressure against the inlet side of the pump, this is typically provided by gravity with a liquid level above the pump centre line. Self-priming chemical pumps have air on the pump suction side, so on start-up they have the ability to pull the air through before beginning to transfer the liquid. Understanding suction conditions is vital when calculating NPSHa in a pump system.
4. Temperature range
   What temperature range will your chemical pump need to operate within?
   Each pump will be designed to handle a minimum and maximum temperature. You need to ensure that the fluids being transferred remain within the limits of the pump to prevent damage and potential failure. Temperature can have a huge effect on the pressure and corrosiveness, making it a key consideration for all applications but specifically for acid transfer pumps.
5. Flow rate
   What rate of flow does your application need the pump to provide?
   Flow rate is the volume of liquid that travels through a pump over a specific amount of time. This is typically referred to ‘litres per minute’ (lpm) or ‘cubic metres per hour’ (m³/hr). In basic terms, if your application transfer 100 litres every 10 minutes, that means you will need a pump that generates a flow rate of 10 lpm. Every chemical pump provides a range of flow rates, selecting a pump with a best efficiency point (BEP) that matches the required flow rate for your application will maximise energy efficiency.

If you know the details of your application, including the five things detailed above and want to explore which types of chemical pumps could be used, check out our easy pump finder tool.

CHEMICAL PUMP SERVICES FROM CHEM RESIST

As a leading provider of chemical storage and transfer solutions in the UK, Chem Resist have been supplying premium-branded chemical pumps for over 35 years – making us one of the most trusted chemical pump suppliers nationwide.

We ensure the type of chemical pumps we specify and supply meet the demands of our customer’s application. We distribute a variety of pumps including small chemical transfer pumps as well as portable chemical transfer pumps that can be moved as necessary. We provide premium-branded pumps from Almatec, Munsch, World Chemical, Grun, Neptune, Abaque, and Pan World.

To find out more about our range of pumps, visit our chemical pumps page. Don’t forget to use our pump finder tool if you’re unsure what you need. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

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