Weir Minerals has upgraded its polymer-ceramic composite for the Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) market.
Specially engineered for use in FGD applications, the Cerasmooth compound is designed to provide ultimate wear and corrosion resistance.
“We are focused on the continuous improvement of our materials, which is why we have enhanced our existing formulation to improve component wear life and meet the ever more demanding market’s needs,” Weir Minerals executive vice president of engineering Patrick Moyer.
Cerasmooth material was developed for the Warman GSL pump series but can also be used for any acidic, light slurry application.
The FGD application can experience wide variations in pH during operation and also contains erosive components in the slurry. This makes it difficult to select an optimum metal solution to cover the range of possible conditions.
Materials used in this application need to be capable of handling these demanding and varying operating conditions.
“The polymer matrix of Cerasmooth is almost impervious to the extremely acidic environments that can occur in FGD duties, and the ceramic filler provides outstanding wear resistance to the typical erosive particles in the slurry,” Weir Minerals director of research and development Edward Humphries said.
Cerasmooth compound has an equal combination of erosion and corrosion resistance, which work together to deliver optimum life in an FGD circuit, offering customers longer wear life than ever before.
“Significant in-house wear testing has shown that up to 60 per cent improvement over the previous polymer ceramic material offering can be obtained. This has been achieved by successfully improving the bond that holds the wear resistant silicon carbide grains in place during the wear process,” Humphries said.
“In addition, the uniquely formulated composite material boasts increased mechanical strength and improved strain characteristics. “Achieving flexible strength as high as double that seen in first generation materials.”
By utilising Cerasmooth material, operators can significantly improve the service life of their pump compared to metal and rubber liners.
Compared to a rubber lined pump, Cerasmooth compound has an increased ability to withstand the cutting damage that can be caused by pipe scale coming loose from the FGD circuit and passing through the pump.
Cerasmooth material was developed through a rigorous process of testing various polymer binders and ceramic fillers to find the optimum combination to deliver the performance required.