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TheImpactofComponentMaterialSelectiononPumpReliabilityWaterWorld

THEIMPACTOFCOMPONENT
MATERIALSELECTIONON
PUMPRELIABILITY
ByAllanR.Budris
Selectingtherightpumptypeandsizingitcorrectlyarecriticalcomponentstothesuccessofany
pumpapplication.Equallyimportantisselectingconstructionmaterials.Theinitialcostofthese
materialsisnormallythefirstconsideration.Operationalcosts,replacementcostsandlongevityof
serviceandrepaircostswill,however,determinetheactualcostofthepumpduringitslifetime.
Standardpumppartmaterials(suchascastirons,bronzesandlowcarbonsteels)aretypicallythe
leastexpensivefirstcostandthemostreadilyavailableforreplacement.However,these
materialscanbecomemoreexpensiveiftheycauseprematurefailureandunexpectedserviceand
replacement.
Throughouttheyears,Ihaveconsultedonseveralwastewaterliftstationapplicationswherethe
choiceoflowcostcastironforthepumpimpeller,evenwhencoated,couldnotwithstandthe
abrasivesinthepumpageand/orcavitation,whichwereoftenexacerbatedbylowflowsuction
recirculation.
Factorsthatmustbeconsideredinselectingmaterialsforwettedpumppartsare,forexample,
user'sexperience,expectedpumplife,intermittentorcontinuousduty,pumpingofhazardousor
toxicliquids,conditionoftheliquid,pumpsuctionenergylevel,andconditionsofservice(especially
suctionconditions).
Corrosion
Corrosionisthedestructiveattackofametalbychemicalorelectrochemicalreactionwithits
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environment.Corrosionbyitselfisusuallynotadifficultprobleminfact,manymaterialsare
availabletohandlemostfluids.Itis,however,importanttounderstandthevarioustypesofcorrosion
andfactorsaffectingthecorrosionrateinordertoselecttheappropriatematerials.Itcanbequite
difficulttochooseamaterialtowithstandmultiplefactors,suchascorrosioninadditiontoerosion
and/orcavitation.
Ageneralruleofthumbistofirstselectmaterialsthatwillwithstandcorrosionandthenselectthe
onewiththemostappropriateabrasionand/orcavitationresistance.Further,thecorrosive
propertiesoftheliquidmayvarywithoneormoreofthefollowingliquidconditions:temperature,
concentration,purity,velocity,suctionpressure,entrainedair,andentrainedsolids.
AbrasiveWear
Abrasivewearisthemechanicalremovalofmetalfromthecuttingorabradingactionofsolids
carriedinsuspensioninthepumpedliquid.Therateofwearforanymaterialisdependentuponthe
followingcharacteristicsofthesuspendedsolids:
1.Solidconcentration
2.Solidssizeandmass
3.Solidsshape(spherical,angularorsharpfracturedsurfaces)
4.Solidshardness
5.Relativevelocitybetweensolidsandmetalsurface
Therateofwearisalsodependentuponthematerialsselectedfortherotationandstationary
componentsofacentrifugalpump.Althoughmetalhardnessisnotthesolecriterionofresistanceto
abrasivewear,hardnessdoesprovideaconvenientindexinselectingductilematerialsusually
availableforcentrifugalpumps.SuchanindexisshowninFigure1,wheretheabrasivewear
resistanceratioisshownasafunctionofBrinellhardnessforvariousmaterials.Itshouldbenoted
thatabrittlematerial,suchascastiron,exhibitsamuchlowerratiothaneitherthesteelsorbronzes
ofthesamehardness.Thefollowingtabulationcanalsobeusedasaguideinmaterialselection,
listedinorderofincreasingabrasivewearresistance:
1.Castiron
2.Bronze
3.Manganesebronze
4.Nickelaluminumbronze
5.Caststeel
6.300seriesstainlesssteel
7.400seriesstainlesssteel
AbrasionCorrosion
Thecorrosionrateofmostmetalsandalloysinanyliquidenvironmentunderstaticconditions
dependsupontheresistanceofthefilmthatformsonthesurfaceandprotectsthebasemetalfrom
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furtherattack.Damagetoorremovalofthisfilmbyabrasionexposestheunprotectedbasemetalto
thecorrosiveenvironment,andmetalremovalcontinuesunabated.
Whentheliquidpumpediscorrosiveandalsocontainsabrasivesolids,higheralloyedmaterials
(suchasstainlesssteel)areoftenrequiredtoachieveacceptablepumplife.Theuseofsuchalloys
ismoreimportantwhenapumpisoperatedonlyintermittentlyandnotflushedaftereachpumping
cycle.
Incentrifugalpumps,theimpellerisparticularlysusceptibletoabrasioncorrosion.Althoughthe
casingcanbedamagedbythis,theproblemisusuallysecondarytothatoftheimpeller.The
diffusertypecasingwithitsmanyvanesismoresusceptibletoabrasioncorrosionthanisthe
volutetypecasingwithonlyonevanethecasingtongueasanobstructiontothelineofflow.
Wearingringsarealsosusceptibletoabrasioncorrosionandshouldreceivespecialconsiderationin
materialselection.Thehigherfluidvelocitiesthroughthesmallclearanceannuluscanresultina
highrateofwear,unlessthepropermaterialisselected.
CavitationAbrasionCorrosion
Cavitationerosion(whichcannormallyoccurwithhighsuctionenergypumps)istheremovalof
metalasaresultofhigh,localizedstressesproducedinthemetalsurfacefromthecollapse
(implosion)ofcavitationvaporbubblesinhigherpressureregionsoftheimpellerinlet.Inan
abrasivecavitationandcorrosiveenvironment,therateofdamageisfurtheracceleratedandcan
occureveninlowsuctionenergypumps.Thebasematerialiserodedawayastheabrasive
particlesareacceleratedtowardstheimpellersurface(bytheimplosiveforceofthecavitation
bubbles),whichcontinuouslyremovesthecorrosionproductssometalremovalproceedsunabated.

Whileeveryeffortshouldbemadeinthedesignandapplicationofcentrifugalpumpstopreventor
minimizecavitation,especiallywithhighsuctionenergypumps,itisnotalwayspossibletodoso.It
shouldbenotedthatthepublishednetpositivesuctionheadrequirement(NPSHR)curveisnot
sufficienttosuppressallcavitationdamage.ItcantakefourtimesthisNPSHRvalue,onaverage,to
fullyeliminateallcavitationinapump.
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Inpreviouscolumns,I'vediscussedrecommendedNPSHmarginratios.Ifthedesiredmargins
cannotbeprovided,animpellermaterialwithgoodcavitationresistanceshouldthenbeselected.
Theimpactoftheimpellermaterialonthelifeofahighsuctionenergypumpundercavitation
conditionsisshowninTable1.Asanexample,changingfrommildsteel(reliabilityfactorof1.0)to
stainlesssteel(reliabilityfactorof4.0)wouldincreasetheimpellerlifefromcavitationdamagebya
factoroffour.Hardcoatings,suchascertainceramics,canalsoincreasetheimpellerlifeunder
cavitatingconditions.

Conclusion
Insummary,thefollowingcriteriashouldbeconsideredintheselectionofthematerialfora
centrifugalpumpimpellerand/orcasing:
1.Corrosionresistance
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2.Abrasivewearresistance
3.Cavitationresistance
4.Strength(primarilyforthecasings)
5.Castingandmachiningproperties
6.Cost
Formostwaterandothernoncorrosiveservices,bronzesatisfiesthesecriteriafortheimpellerand
thusisthemostwidelyusedimpellermaterialfortheseservices.Castironimpellersshould
generallybeusedtoalimitedextentinsmall,lowcostpumps.Ascastironisinferiortobronzein
corrosion,erosionandcavitationresistance,lowinitialcostwouldbetheonlyjustificationforacast
ironimpeller.Further,stainlesssteelimpellersarewidelyusedwherebronzewouldnotsatisfythe
requirementsforcorrosion,erosionand/orcavitationresistance.Forthepumpcasing,castironis
thegenerallypreferredmaterialinmostwaterandwastewaterpumpingapplications.
AbouttheAuthor:AllanR.Budris,P.E.,isanindependentconsultingengineerwhospecializesin
training,failureanalysis,troubleshooting,reliability,efficiencyaudits,andlitigationsupporton
pumpsandpumpingsystems.Hecanbecontactedviaemailatbudrisconsulting@comcast.net.
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