Global Surface Protection recently helped a uranium ore processing facility in extending the life and improving the performance of its centrifugal pumps using MetaLine coatings.
Centrifugal pumps are critical in various industrial applications that require the transfer of liquids, but exposure to abrasive and corrosive media can lead to wear and tear of the pump's components, resulting in reduced efficiency and even failure. That's where MetaLine, a high-performance coating product, comes into play.
Many facilities now rely on specialised pump impeller coatings to strengthen these key components and ensure longer operating life.
Challenge
A uranium ore processing facility needed to pump raw material, in the form of slurry through its plant. The slurry, crushed uranium ore mixed with reactive chemicals, is both highly abrasive and corrosive, causing metal components in contact with the slurry to erode and wear extremely quickly.
Pump n. 1 shows the interior of a centrifugal pump after only five days in contact with the slurry. This image demonstrates the corrosive nature of the slurry, as the vane of this particular impeller has been eroded to the point that it is no longer capable of effective pumping.
This rapid damage highlighted the need for effective pump impeller coatings that can resist both abrasion and corrosion.
Solution
In consultation with Global Surface Protection, the pump was replaced – with exactly the same model. The difference was that the replacement had its interior metal surfaces coated with an elastomeric compound designed to withstand corrosive and abrasive process fluids. In this instance, both the impeller and pump n. 2 casing were treated with MetaLine 785 elastomeric coating. Applying a durable pump impeller coating provided a protective barrier that significantly reduced wear from the abrasive slurry.
Result
After 10 weeks of continuous service, no failures were recorded, and the pump was inspected during routine maintenance. Pump n. 2 clearly shows the interior impeller surface after this period, with the elastomer and impeller fully intact. In contrast, Pump n. 1, which had been exposed to the slurry for only five days, shows significant wear. This demonstrates that the MetaLine elastomeric coating has greatly enhanced the durability of the pump’s internal components. In this case, the pump with the coating had already lasted twelve times longer than the original uncoated pump.
The applied pump impeller coating proved to be a simple yet highly effective solution, significantly extending equipment life even under harsh slurry conditions.
The images highlight the clear benefits of MetaLine’s elastomeric coating, showing no visible wear on either the coating or the underlying metal. Following inspection, the pump was returned to service for continued operation.
Pump 1 Pump 2
With a wide range of MetaLine products and in-house coating specialist consultation, Global Surface Protection can help you choose the right coating product for the application and surface of your need. Get in touch with our team, today.
