Pump selection for volatile materials
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A customer inquired about self-priming pumps for handling dichloromethane, ether, and **furan – all of which have low boiling points and are volatile substances. The company’s technical team believes that volatile materials are not suitable for use with self-priming pumps; instead, centrifugal pumps equipped with siphon tanks are required. The customer does not approve of the siphon tank. Are there any other good pump options?
Such technical requirements are reasonable; during design, the pump inlet pipe should be made thicker, and the liquid level should be higher than the pump inlet. If the requirements regarding flow rate and pulsation are not high, positive displacement pumps such as pneumatic diaphragm pumps might be a better choice. Where production permits, the lower the flow rate, the better; this results in a lower negative pressure at the inlet, and less vaporization occurs. In centrifugal pumps, due to the high-speed rotation of the impeller, the kinetic energy of the material increases, leading to more vaporization compared to positive-displacement pumps.
Wrong, it’s the customer who shouldn’t be too demanding.
Are the underwater installation conditions not available?
Media with high saturated vapor pressures are not suitable for use with self-priming pumps
What type of pump does the customer want to use?
Yes, the material is drawn out through a pipe from a tank.
The technical requirements aren’t that stringent; it’s just that the customer wants to use a self-priming pump, but such pumps are not suitable for these operating conditions. Piston-type ones are indeed worth considering
I’ve never used this pump before; can it transport materials that are a mixture of gas and liquid?
The customer suggested using a self-priming pump on their own