A Beginners Guide to slurry pumps

Selecting the right pump for moving slurry is important due to being thick, highly abrasive and also sometimes corrosive; Slurry is a very difficult and challenging fluid to move. It’s and contains a high concentration of solids making slurry tough on pumping equipment.

What is Slurry

Slurry is a mixture of solids and fluid. In farming this could consist of cow manure and water. Or could be used in the mining industry to move ores, such as coal or iron, or mining waste, Other uses where slurry is used and may require moving could be steel processing, foundries, power generation (oil & gas ) and Frac Sand mining industry. 

Why choosing the right pump is important.

Due to the Characteristics outlined below the right choice of pump is important.

• Abrasive
• Thick consistency
• Can contain a high amount of solids
• Usually settle quickly
• Require more power to operate than a “water” pump

Centrifugal pumps are the most commonly used although other pumping systems can also be used. The main advantage of these slurry pumps is that the centrifugal force generated by a rotating impeller impacts the kinetic energy produced the slurry which greatly reduced the wear time. It is important to choose the correct size and deisgn for the impeller and also to choose the correct materials that the pump will be constructed from.

casing must protect from abrasion and are sometimes lined with metal or rubber, The casings should be composed of hard alloys, which can withstand the extra erosion that is a result of the slurry. 

Guide to configuring the Slurry pump.

When configuring the slurry pump you should find a balance between the flow being slow enough to reduce wear, yet fast enough to avoid clog up of the slurry materials. Having a low discharge pressure and piping laid out correctly will significantly reduce wear.