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Pumping Viscous Liquids with AquFlow Pumps

S3000

Not all liquid chemicals are the same. Liquid chemicals come in various shapes, consistencies, viscosities and solid content. In this article we are going to explore the most suitable options for pumping high viscosity liquids.

Viscosity is by itself a complex subject which requires a very detailed explanations to various kinds and measures of viscosity. For our purposes we will keep the discussion relatively simple. Viscosity of a liquid is the resistance it generates to flow. When a liquid flows it has various frictional resistances that act on it and within itself. Two major types of viscosities are the dynamic (shear) viscosity AKA absolute defined as the friction between adjacent layers of the liquid as it flows and the second one being the kinematic viscosity which is measured as the ratio of absolute viscosity to its density.

Hence the higher the viscosity is of a liquid the slower it flows or pours out of a container. If we were to take two jars of exactly the same size and shape and fill one with water and the other with honey. Then we try to pour the contents out by turning it at a 45 degree gradient downwards, we will notice that the water jar empties out in a fraction of the tie it takes for the honey to empty if it ever empties completely. This is an illustration of what viscosity does to the movement of a liquid which is the rate of flow. So now we have established that the higher viscosity liquids flow slowly.

AquFlow makes several modifications to its pumps depending upon the liquid and the application to make it ideal for these high viscosity liquids. Some of these are as follows,

  1. We reduce the speed of the flow by reducing the strokes per minute. This allows enough time for the viscous liquid to fill in and empty out of the pump chamber with each stroke.
  2. We also open up the valves, and other restricted areas that the liquid has to pass through. By doing this we reduce the drag on the viscous liquid.
  3. Some liquids change their viscosity due to various external factors such as temperature. We make pumps that can be field adjusted to these changing viscosities.
  4. We also use larger and heavier valve balls to ensure proper sealing between each stroke which in turn increases the accuracy of the pump.
  5. We also offer a tubular diaphragm configuration for liquids that require special handling.

Please let us know your most challenging liquid and we will ensure we apply the right pump with the customized configuration to ensure long and dependable service from our pumps. It is the same service that our customers have come to expect from us over the last 42 years.

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