Avoid Unexpected Downtimes of Pumps by Using Ceramic Components
20 February 2023
Different types of pumps are used by various industrial plants to ensure that they can carry out their processes optimally. Most of the time, they use pumps to move chemicals, liquids, and other elements from one place to another. Pumps can also be utilised to pressurise fluid, support manufacturing processes, carry out filtration, and many other tasks.
Since these tasks and processes must be conducted regularly, pumps used by industries should only be made from durable materials. Most pumps today utilise components made from stainless steel, cast steel, cast iron, bronze, carbon structural steel, and alloy steel.
These materials, however, can wear off easily, especially if the pumps are utilised all the time. And as they break down, they can easily force operations to pause for a little while. Hence, industrial plant owners are often encouraged to opt for ceramic pump components since they tend to minimise unexpected downtimes in industrial plants.
An Overview of Ceramic Materials
Ceramic materials are inorganic, non-metallic oxide, nitride, or carbide materials that often feature elements like carbon and silicon. They are often produced by mixing clay, earthen elements, powders, and water and shaping them into intended forms and shapes. Finished ceramic products will then be covered in decorative, waterproof substances.
The primary composition of ceramic materials allows them to be hard and strong in compression. They can, however, be brittle. They may even be weak in tension and shearing. Therefore, they are often integrated with other elements just to improve their properties.
Ceramic Material Core Properties
Ceramic materials have extremely high hardness and high melting points. They are also resistant to wear, oxidation, corrosion, solvents, acids, and alkaline solution. They are even chemically inert. All these properties make ceramic materials effective in producing pump components like check valve balls, impellers, liners, and plungers.
Pump components can also be made from ceramic materials as they have tight clearances. These clearances enable components to be leak-free, even with no external sealing.
The frequent movement of pump components makes them vulnerable to damage caused by friction. But with the use of ceramic materials, pump components are expected to not get damaged since they boast minimal friction.
Now, since they can be brittle, ceramic pump components are normally integrated with plastic or metal housings and backings. The addition of these materials makes sure that the ceramic components will be protected from forces that can damage and crack them along the way.
Many Options for Ceramic Pumps
Many ceramic material options are available for producing pump components. Some of these options include aluminium oxide (alumina), zirconium oxide (zirconia), alumina-zirconia, sapphire (single-crystal alumina), fused silica, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, and quartz.
When selecting from these materials, industries have to consider the media pumped and its temperature. They should likewise consider the material’s toughness, refractoriness, strength, hardness, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance.
Out of all these options, industries can easily take advantage of pump components made from alumina. Alumina ceramics are hard and versatile. They can also withstand high temperatures and corrosion. So even with exposure to a hot and corrosive medium, alumina pump components can easily process them.
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