Chemical process pumps are essential components in the chemical and petrochemical industries, serving as a general term for various types of pumps used in different stages of production. These pumps can be broadly categorized based on their working principles into three main groups: vane pumps, positive displacement pumps, and other specialized types. Vane pumps include centrifugal, axial flow, mixed flow, partial flow, and vortex pumps, while positive displacement pumps encompass reciprocating, diaphragm, and rotary pumps such as screw, liquid ring, gear, vane, and root pumps. Other types include jet pumps and electromagnetic pumps.
Depending on the specific application, chemical pumps can also be classified by their function, such as high-pressure methylamine pumps, cryogenic pumps, and phosphoric slurry pumps. In chemical or petrochemical processes, these pumps often operate under extreme conditions—high temperatures, low or ultra-low temperatures, high pressure, flammable, explosive, and corrosive media. Some pumps must handle high inlet pressure, high lift, high viscosity, low flow rates, and conditions prone to cavitation, which makes their design and performance requirements extremely demanding, especially in terms of corrosion resistance, leakage prevention (for toxic media), and wear resistance.
To meet these special needs, the chemical industry has developed specialized pump types, such as plastic, glass, ceramic, graphite, shielded, magnetic, and impurity pumps. In the production of phosphate fertilizers, for example, the media transported include phosphate slurry, filtrates, concentrated and dilute phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid, and fluorosilicic acid—all of which are highly corrosive and abrasive. Phosphoric slurry pumps are particularly critical in this context, as they are designed to withstand strong corrosion and wear. In the early stages of phosphate fertilizer development, many pumps had very short lifespans, sometimes only lasting a week. This led to extensive research and development by experts both domestically and internationally, focusing on structural design, material selection, and sealing technologies.
In China, significant progress has been made in localizing phosphate slurry pump technology. Domestic manufacturers, along with research institutes and universities, have developed materials like ferritic stainless steel, duplex steel, and austenitic stainless steel to improve corrosion and wear resistance. Today, most large and medium-sized phosphate fertilizer plants use around 30–40 slurry pumps, while smaller facilities use 20–30 units. The average lifespan of each pump is about six months, indicating a large and growing market.
Another challenging type of pump is the high-pressure methylamine pump and high-pressure liquid ammonia pump used in urea plants, which face severe corrosion. Medium and small urea plants often use reciprocating plunger pumps, while larger plants may opt for multistage centrifugal or high-speed partial flow pumps. Each type has its own advantages and drawbacks—reciprocating pumps offer reliability but are bulky and complex, while high-speed partial flow pumps are compact but face more sealing and wear issues. Multistage centrifugal pumps strike a balance between performance and ease of maintenance.
Although China has developed various types of high-pressure pumps, some advanced models are still imported due to technical limitations or patent restrictions. While domestic equipment is generally more cost-effective, with spare parts being cheaper and more readily available, some users still favor foreign products out of prejudice or lack of understanding. However, with continuous improvements in quality and performance, domestic pumps are becoming a viable and economical alternative.
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