Research And Insight
Abrasive liquids
An abrasive liquid contains substances, often minerals or inorganic substances, that are harder than the material they rub against. This abrasion will wear out and damage softer materials. Naturally-occurring abrasives found in wastewater could be sand, stones, calcium carbonate or ferric oxide.
Abrasive liquids can accelerate corrosion of a pump and are directly involved in erosion-corrosion. In general, greater force will cause faster abrasion. This makes high velocity parts of a pump more susceptible to erosion-corrosion.
To combat this, Grundfos supplies pumps for abrasive liquids built in grades of stainless steel that match the corrosion risk. The Grundfos CR range of centrifugal pumps and SP groundwater pumps are typical examples of pumps built to counter the risks from abrasive liquids for industrial processes and water supply respectively.