Materials for Construction of Pumps
Pumps
are made of various materials. Pumps are offered in a variety of
construction materials for dispensing most types of liquids and
chemicals. Some common materials used in the construction of pumps are
as follows:
Aluminum
Aluminum is a silvery and ductile member of the poor metal group of
chemical elements. Aluminum is found primarily as the ore bauxite. It is
a light trivalent metallic element and has good electrical and thermal
conductivity, high reflectivity, and resistance to oxidation. Aluminum
is used in many industries to make millions of different products and is
very important to the world economy.
Brass
The term used for alloys of copper and zinc in a solid solution is
called brass. It is more than 50% copper and from 5 to 20% zinc. Brass
comes with good strength. It has excellent high temperature ductility
and reasonable cold ductility. Brass has also good conductivity and
excellent corrosion resistance. Since it also has good bearing
properties and low magnetic permeability, it is a ideal material for
construction of pumps.
Bronze
The term used for alloys of copper and tin is called Bronze. Sometimes,
bronze is also found with other elements such as phosphorus, manganese,
aluminum, or silicon. It is strong and tough, and has wide range of uses
in industry. Some types of brasses are also called bronzes. Sintered
bronze is a porous material, which can be impregnated with oil, graphite
or PTFE. It is not suitable for heavily loaded applications but is of
great use where lubrication is inconvenient.
Cast Iron
There are various types of cast irons which are widely used in
industry, especially for valves, pumps, pipes, filters and certain
mechanical parts. Cast iron can be considered as an alloy of iron,
silicon and carbon. Cast irons are natural composite materials whose
properties are determined by their micro structures, that is, the stable
and metastable phases formed during solidification or subsequent heat
treatment. Cast irons have improved (corrosion) resistance and
substantially modified mechanical and physical properties. Various types
of cast irons used in the construction of pumps are:
- Gray Cast Iron
- White Cast Iron
- Chilled Iron (duplex)
- Malleable Cast Irons
- Ductile Or Nodular Cast Irons
Plastic
Plastic includes a range of synthetic or semi-synthetic polymerization
products. It is composed of organic condensation or addition polymers
and other substances to improve performance or economics. It is capable
of being molded, extruded, cast into various shapes and films, or drawn
into filaments used as textile fibers. It is malleable, having the
property of plasticity. It is designed with immense variation in
properties such as heat tolerance, hardness, resiliency and many others.
Combined with this adaptability, the general uniformity of composition
and light weight of plastic ensures its use in almost all industrial
segments.
Stainless Steel
Another material of construction of pumps is stainless steel. Stainless
steel is chemical and corrosion resistant and can have relatively high
pressure ratings.
