Application Scenarios of Slurry Pumps in Metal Smelting Industry

1. Iron and steelmaking

1. Metal and molten steel conveying:

During ironmaking and steelmaking, slurry pumps can be used to transport high-temperature molten iron and molten steel. Although molten iron and molten steel are not "slurry" in the traditional sense, due to their high temperature, high viscosity and certain impurities, the requirements for conveying equipment are consistent with the performance characteristics of the slurry pump. For example, in converter steelmaking, it is necessary to transport molten iron from the blast furnace to the converter, and the slurry pump can adapt to this high-temperature and high-load transportation task to a certain extent. However, slurry pumps used in this scenario usually require special high-temperature resistant materials and sealing designs to ensure safe and reliable delivery of high-temperature liquid metal.

To meet the requirements of high-temperature transport, the overflow components of the slurry pump may use special heat-resistant alloy steel, and are equipped with an advanced cooling system to prevent the pump from overheating and damage in high-temperature environments. Seals also need to have high temperature resistance, wear resistance and good sealing properties to prevent leakage of metal liquid.

2. Slag treatment:

A large amount of slag will be generated during iron smelting and steelmaking, which need to be discharged and processed in time. Slurry pumps play an important role in slag treatment. They can extract slag from steelmaking furnaces or ironmaking furnaces and transport them to slag treatment facilities, such as slag tanks, slag ponds or slag treatment workshops. For example, in arc furnace steelmaking, the discharge and delivery of the slag is usually done by a slurry pump to ensure that the production process in the furnace can be carried out continuously.

Since the slag usually has a high temperature and certain corrosion properties, the slurry pump needs to have good heat and corrosion resistance. At the same time, solid particles in the slag may wear the pump's overflow components, so the impeller, sheath and other components of the slurry pump are usually made of high-hardness and wear-resistant materials, such as high chromium alloys.

2. Nonferrous metal smelting

1. Slurry conveying:

In the process of non-ferrous metal smelting, such as copper, aluminum, zinc and other metals, the ore must first be crushed, ground, etc. to form an ore slurry containing metal minerals. Slurry pumps are used to transport these slurries to process links such as ore dressing, leaching, and flotation.

Different non-ferrous metal ores have different physical and chemical properties, so the requirements for slurry pumps are also different. For example, for ore slurry containing more acidic substances, the slurry pump needs to have good corrosion resistance; for ore slurry containing larger particles, the slurry pump needs to have a large overflow channel and strong wear resistance.

2. Waste residue treatment:

A large amount of waste residue will be generated during the smelting of non-ferrous metals, which need to be properly disposed of to reduce environmental pollution. The slurry pump can transport the waste slag to the waste slag yard, tailings pond or perform further treatment and recycling.

The properties of waste slag are usually relatively complex and may contain a variety of harmful substances and impurities, and have high requirements for corrosion resistance and wear resistance of slurry pumps. At the same time, the treatment of waste slag usually requires consideration of environmental protection requirements. The sealing performance and leakage control of the slurry pump are also very important to prevent waste slag leakage from causing pollution to the environment.

3. Other application scenarios

1. Circulating water system:

Metal smelters usually require a large amount of circulating water to cool equipment, wash gas, etc. Slurry pumps can be used for water transport in circulating water systems to ensure that circulating water can flow stably and meet the cooling and washing needs during the production process. For example, during the continuous casting of steelmaking, the casting billet needs to be cooled with circulating water, and the slurry pump is responsible for transporting the circulating water into the cooling equipment.

Circulating water may contain certain impurities and corrosive substances, so the slurry pump used in circulating water systems needs to have certain corrosion resistance and clogging resistance. At the same time, in order to ensure the efficient operation of the circulating water system, the flow rate and head of the slurry pump need to be reasonably selected according to the requirements of the system.

2. Flue gas purification system:

A large amount of flue gas will be generated during metal smelting, which contains harmful substances such as dust, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, etc. Flue gas purification systems usually require wet washing for purification, while slurry pumps are used to transport the washing liquid into the flue gas purification equipment. For example, in the flue gas purification system of a copper smelting plant, the slurry pump transports the slurry liquid such as lime milk into the absorption tower and reacts with harmful substances in the flue gas to achieve the purpose of purifying the flue gas.

Since the washing liquid in the flue gas purification system usually has a certain degree of corrosion resistance, the slurry pump needs to have good corrosion resistance. At the same time, solid particles in the washing liquid may cause wear to the pump's overflow components, so the wear resistance of the slurry pump is also very important. In addition, flue gas purification systems usually require continuous operation, which require high reliability and stability of the slurry pump.