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Effects of Corrosion and Erosion on Industrial Pumps and Ways to Overcome It

All industrial processes – be it food processing, wastewater treatment, energy, manufacturing, paper, oil refineries or more – require pumps to operate efficiently. All industrial processes and applications require liquids to be pumped at some point in the process. From deep sea oil and gas explorations to wastewater treatment plants, all industrial applications use pumps to perform a wide range of tasks. As an industrial plant owner, it’s essential that you minimize downtime and operational costs, by boosting the reliability and efficiency of all the pumps you use in your plant. One of the biggest drawbacks for industrial pumps is – erosion and corrosion. Industrial pumps, unlike domestic pumps, operate in harsh environmental conditions and face a continuous threat from erosion and corrosion. Here, in today’s post, we take a look at how modern industrial centrifugal pump manufacturers like Sintech use the latest pump designs and coating technologies to improve the long term performance of your industrial pumps, by combating erosion and corrosion.

How does Corrosion Occur in Industrial Pumps?

Corrosion Occur in Industrial PumpsCorrosion is a chemical reaction that occurs between the pump’s surface and the fluid that passes through it. It is of different types – uniform or general corrosion (that occurs all through the pump’s surface) and localized corrosion (that occurs in specific parts of the pump like crevice and pitting). Generally, metals that are prone to oxidation suffer from localized corrosion, whereas metals like stainless steel suffer from uniform corrosion. Another important type of corrosion in industrial pumps is FAC (Flow Accelerated Corrosion). This is the process of removal of the oxide layer from a metal’s surface. FAC depends on several factors like the flow velocity of the fluid, oxygen content and chloride levels. Generally, FAC occurs only in pumps that are made from cast iron and low carbon steels. You can easily eliminate FAC by using stainless steel or increasing the chromium content in the pump.

How does Erosion Occur in Industrial Pumps?

Erosion Occur in Industrial PumpsWhen the fluid being transferred contains abrasives like sand, dust and other fine particles, it can cause the pump to erode especially when the flow velocity is high. Erosion is a commonly occurring phenomenon in the injection pumps used in the oil and gas industry. In undersea oil and gas explorations, the pressure must be high to force the water back into the oil field. The entrapped sand particles at these high pressures erode the pump and affect its efficiency. You can reduce erosion in three ways:
  • Reduce the flow velocity in all parts of the pump
  • Design the pump, so that flow velocity doesn’t increase to high levels
  • Use erosion resistant coating materials for the pumps

Impacts of Erosion and Corrosion on Your Pumping System

Corrosion on Your Pumping SystemIn industrial applications, where both erosion and corrosion are present, it can cause degradation of the pump mechanism quickly. Corrosion may create oxide layers that are prone to erosion. On the other hand, erosion may bite into the passive underlying layers, which in turn, accelerates corrosion. When your pump undergoes erosion and/or corrosion, it affects the overall efficiency of your pump system. This, in turn, leads to increased downtime for repair and maintenance, which in turn, reduces your industrial output while increasing operational costs.

How to Prevent Erosion and Corrosion of Industrial Pumps?

Prevent ErosionYou can prevent the harmful effects of erosion and corrosion on your industrial pumps in two major ways.

1. Choose the Right Materials for your Pump

Choose the Right Materials for your PumpBy choosing the right materials for the construction of your pump, helps to mitigate the problems faced due to erosion and corrosion. For example, if you are looking to purchase cast iron or carbon steel pumps to reduce the overall costs, make sure to factor in the corrosion rate to the maintenance costs. If the maintenance cost calculated after including the corrosion rate is acceptable, you can choose pumps made of carbon steel or cast iron. If this maintenance cost is beyond your budget, it makes sense to pay extra and purchase pumps made from stainless steel and other materials that have a long shelf life. While some grades of stainless steel is more corrosion and erosion resistant, it can become susceptible to corrosion if the passive layer is damaged. When the passive layer (outer layer) is damaged, the base layer gets activated, which then starts to corrode. Another main reason for erosion and corrosion effects in stainless steel pumps is because of stagnant conditions. Similarly, if the chlorine level in the displaced fluid is high, it can have a corrosive impact on a stainless steel pump.

2. Protective Coatings

Protective CoatingsBy using advanced coating technologies, you can significantly improve the durability and performance of your industrial water pumps. Generally, coatings like Fusion Bonded Epoxy, a polymeric coating can be applied to pump components to reduce the effects of corrosion and erosion. Furthermore, polymeric coatings also improve the hydraulic performance of the pumping process. With that said, polymeric coatings don’t work well for applications that have high flow velocities. In such cases, you can opt for galvanic protection to reduce the effects of corrosion and erosion. Another popular coating is carbide coating. Tungsten along with nickel, cobalt, and chrome are used to provide corrosion resistance. With significant advances in coating technologies, you can now choose bespoke coatings that are tailor-made for your specific application requirements.

Overcome the Effects of Corrosion and Erosion to Improve Efficiency

As you can see, with the reduction of corrosion and erosion, you can eliminate maintenance costs by improving efficiency. Here, at Sintech, a leading industrial water pump manufacturer in the country, we employ state-of-the-art coating technologies and use new-age materials to ensure that your pumps are free from the harmful effects of corrosion and erosion. Get in touch with our Sintech industrial pump experts to help you find the right pumps that are a perfect fit for your specific applications and last long for years to come. Our core goal is to deliver flexible, cost-effective industrial pumps that optimize operational efficiency while minimizing downtime. For more information, check out the different types of industrial pumps we manufacture at Sintech Pumps.
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What is the Pump Suction Pipe & Why Does it Matter?

The suction pipe is one of the most underlooked components of a pump system. However, it plays a crucial role in ensuring that the overall pump system functions efficiently without any glitches. Here, in today’s post, we take a closer look at the role of the pump suction pipe. What is the Suction Pipe? As the name implies, the suction line of the pump system is a pipe that transports fluids from the source to the pump. The Role of Pump Suction Pipe Suction Pipe Length Though, it’s a small component in the overall pump system the suction pipe plays several crucial roles. They are:
  • It ensures that the displaced liquid/fluid is transported
  • It plays a role in the overall friction loss of the system.
As you can see, the suction pipe plays a crucial role in determining the overall efficiency of the system. A lengthy or an undersized suction pipe can cause negative or positive effects to the system. How does the Suction Pipe affect Friction Loss in the System? While installing the pump system, you have to consider the friction losses in the system. While calculating the power required for moving the liquid/fluid from point A to point B, you must also consider the resistance due to friction, apart from distance. To ensure that you calculate the overall power of the system accurately, you need to consider the friction loss of the suction line. Very often, this is forgotten. By not including the friction loss of the system into consideration, you are most likely to purchase the wrong equipment that is not up to the task. This is a costly mistake, as you end up overhauling the entire system in the near future. Make sure that you design the suction line before you purchase your pump system so that you choose the right equipment for the task. Why Short Suction Lines Work Better? Short Suction Lines Irrespective of the type of liquid you are pumping and the pumping system you use, your number one goal is the efficiency of the overall pumping system. The number one question you have to address while designing the pumping system is – how do you displace a particular volume of liquid/fluid from one point to another, within a particular time, using as little energy as possible? A short suction line is part of the solution. Here are the top advantages of having a short suction line:
  • Improvement in Overall Energy Efficiency
The lesser energy you consume, the lower is the strain caused on the pump components. Additionally, low energy reduces the cost of operating the pump. The longer is the suction line, the more energy you require to move the fluid/liquid from the source to the diaphragm/impeller and then onward to the discharge pipe. The general rule of thumb here is – more energy is required for moving the fluid across a longer distance. Additionally, the friction loss in the suction pipeline also increases the energy consumed. The shorter the suction pipeline, shorter is the distance travelled by the dispatched fluid and lesser is the friction loss, thereby reducing the overall energy consumption.
  • Elimination of Cavitation
Another major issued that impacts pump durability and maintenance is cavitation. Cavitation occurs when pockets of vapour or air are built up in the displaced fluid due to changes in pressure. These tiny air bubbles then explode, which causes shockwaves. The shockwaves cause damage to the surrounding parts of the pump system, which includes the impeller. With a short suction pipeline, it reduces the chances of cavitation. You can check out our blog post that details methods on how to avoid cavitation here. Altering Suction Pipe Length Impacts the Overall Efficiency Decreasing or increasing the length of the suction pipe, along with altering its design can have a huge impact on the overall efficiency of the pump, thereby increasing/decreasing its longevity. Looking for Expert Advice on Pump Design? Here, at Sintech, India’s most trusted industrial and suction pump manufacturers and distributor, we offer you complete guidance on how to achieve the best pump performance. Contact one of our friendly pump experts to help you design the most efficient pump system for your plant or factory.
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Tips to Reduce corrosion in Sea Water Pumps

Don’t Let Corrosion Eat Away your Sea water Pumps Steps to Tackle Corrosion & Keep your Pumps functioning efficiently All desalination operations make use of water pumps. They use either submersible pumps for seawater intake or to sea water pumps the desalinated water to storage. Irrespective of the type and size of the pumps, you have to ensure that it lasts for a long time. Keeping Corrosion at Bay Makes the Pump Healthy One of the biggest hurdles faced by all sea water pumps is “Tackling Corrosion.” Corrosion wears down the critical components of a pump, thereby taking a toll on its lifespan. Apart from decreasing the durability of pumps, corrosion can also wreck havoc to the operational efficiency. Hence, it’s critical to avoid corrosion in your Sea water pumps. Corrosion Costs Corrosion if unchecked, leads to expensive costs that eat the profits. Here are the three types of expenses incurred by plant owners due to corrosion.
  • Direct Loss – This is a result of damage of materials by corrosion. For instance, consider a piping system that has been corroded and must be replaced.
  • Maintenance Costs – These are indirect costs that occur as a result of corrosion prevention. For instance, if you paint your pumping system every few years with non-corrosive paint, then it comes under maintenance costs.
  • Indirect Losses – These are other costs that occur a result of corrosion. For instance, you shut down production for a few days due to damaged pumping systems, and this leads to loss of revenue. The loss of income comes under indirect losses.
The first-step in controlling corrosion costs is to understand what is corrosion and the reasons behind it. Causes for Failure of Sea-Water Pumps Before, we take a look at the steps to prevent corrosion let’s take a closer look at the reasons why sea water pumps fail.
  • Corrosion – It’s the deterioration of the pump material that occurs when it’s exposed to the components of water. Sea water is high in mineral and salt content, which leach the pumps materials over time causing chemical reactions. These reactions eat away the pumps resulting in wear and tear.
  • Rust Formation – This occurs when oxygen corrodes iron or steel, leading to the formation of iron oxide, which is known as rust.
  • Erosion – This occurs when abrasive materials (like salts, minerals) impinge on the pump’s surface. Unlike corrosion, which can occur within a short span, erosion takes a longer time.
  • Abrasion – This occurs when a rotating foreign particle (like sands, small stones, minerals present in sea-water) rub on a stationary surface (the components of a pump).
Steps to Avoid Corrosion in Sea-Water Pumps #1: Choose the Right Pump The easiest and often best way to avoid corrosion is to prevent it from occurring in the first place. You can overcome the harmful effects of corrosion by choosing the right pump that suits your environment. When selecting a pump, you have to consider:
  • The environment
  • The materials handled by the pump
  • Pump efficiency and output
Corrosion is a natural phenomenon, especially while handling harsh fluids like sea water. However, you can avoid it a great deal and slow down its effect by choosing high-quality pumps that can sustain extreme operational environments. For instance, centrifugal pumps made from stainless steel are perfect for sea water pumps. Do your research. Check out the different options available in the market and find the right pumping system that withstands the harmful effects of corrosion. Pro Tip: Not sure which pump will work best for you? Overwhelmed by the technical jargon while selecting pump systems? Worry not, get in touch with our Pump Experts, who guide you to finding the right sea water pumps that not only meets your requirements but also operates efficiently for years to come. #2: Give Attention to the External Parts Too The outer surfaces of the water pump that are exposed to the elements of nature also have to be protected from corrosion. While these parts may or may not come in direct contact with the pumped material, in this case, seawater, they are still exposed to harsh conditions. For instance, submerged pumps not only pump sea-water but are also placed directly inside salt-water. Thus, there is a requirement to protect these external parts of the pump. Opt for materials that are rust-proof like stainless steel. Alternatively, you can coat the surfaces of these parts with corrosion resistant paints or other products. Lining the exterior with paints is an excellent way to keep off corrosion. The paint not only serves to repel water from the pump’s surface but also keeps off other contaminants as well. Long Live the Sea water Pumps Sea water pumps require a bit of extra care and maintenance when compared to freshwater systems. This is because sea water is highly corrosive and tends to wear away any system that it comes in contact with. However, you can ensure the life of your sea water pump by choosing the right pump materials and making use of paints and other coatings to prevent rust formation and corrosion. Need help choosing the right sea water pumps for your desalination plant? Get in touch with our Pump Experts by ringing up +91-120-4176000 or mail us on sales@sintechpumps.com. Sintech Pumps India is a leading pump supplier with clients across several countries. With Sintech, you’re assured of high-quality and the latest pump technology that improves the overall efficiency of your operations.