CDI Energy Products' Polymer Excels in Corrosive Applications

CDI Energy Products achieved API 610 recognition for its dures 200 polymer with it outperforming service life expectations under extremely corrosive sulfuric acid conditions. API 610 is the standard for Centrifugal Pumps for Petroleum, Petrochemical and Natural Gas Industries.

CDI’s thermoplastic polymer composite, dures 200, was the foundation for components developed for an API 610 Vertical Single Casing Diffuser Pump (VS1) for a high-production sulfuric acid plant. CDI’s material scientists and engineers collaborated with the pump OEM to custom design suction bell eye case rings, bowl eye case rings, and bowl bushings which could sustain differential pressures of over 200psi, coupled with an extreme temperature profile of -20⁰F to 105⁰F (-28.8⁰C to 40.55⁰C).

The pump OEM required a material with higher thermal stability and higher creep resistance than Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). CDI’s dures 200 was developed to support service applications with aggressive acids and bases, aromatics, and amines. The pump OEM has indicated that the custom components are still in active use by the end-user and have far exceeded the vertical pump’s typical service maintenance schedule with a significant reduction to costly downtime.

Currently, dures 200 is delivering similar results for custom-designed components in single-stage overhung pumps and horizontally split multistage pumps with lean amines under pressures of over 200psi. Pump operators using this material can operate their equipment with tighter clearances, decreasing vibration and downtime while improving and boosting efficiency.