TABLE OF CONTENTS COLIN O. McCAUL
RONALD S. MILLER
ELLEN E. LINK
The requirements for a successful pump installation are performance and life. Performance is the rating of the pump head, capacity, and efficiency. Life is the total number of hours of operation before one or more pump components must be replaced to maintain an acceptable performance. The initial performance is the responsibility of the pump manufacturer and is inherent in the pump design. Life is primarily a measure of the resistance of the materials of construction to corrosion, erosion, wear, and other factors that can influence the materials when the pump has been placed in service. The need to maximize reliability and extend the pump life makes the selection of appropriate materials of construction crucial.
The selection of materials that are both cost-effective and technically suitable for the application requires a knowledge not only of the pump design and manufacturing processes, but also of the engineering properties of the material, particularly its corrosion and wear resistance properties when subjected to the conditions encountered in the pump. Sufficient information is available in the corrosion and metallurgical literature as well as from the experience of pump manufacturers to make appropriate material choices for virtually any pumping application.
It is known that several factors lead to a long pump life. These include
Neutral liquids at near-ambient temperatures
Appropriate material selections for pumps in aggressive services
The absence of abrasive particles
