ADVERTORIALS
High Viscosity Shear Thinning Polymer Transfer Pump
The problem we faced was that the viscosity of the liquids would very high. This meant that there was in danger of forming a clog at the pump inlet due to the liquid’s available to us.
After further discussions with the client, we decided that
obvious choice was a wide throat progressing cavity pump with a hopper.
In this project, the client needed to pump a variety of shear- thinning liquids ranging from 10,000 to 100,000 cps. Some powder to the clients own concentrations to test various parameters.
They wanted an all-in-one, easy-to-control pump that could maintain the same pressure regardless of the viscosity. wanted to consider which included:
A client who builds test rigs came to us with an intriguing for one of their customers, but the material they needed to move was no ordinary liquid. It was a thick, non-Newtonian polymer, so viscous that at rest it could top 100,000 cP—a substance that
at just 1 cP, brushable silicone rubber ranges from 100,000 to 150,000 cP, and peanut butter clocks in at around deliver this incredibly stubborn material through a nozzle with precision—a challenge that would test both engineering know-how and creative problem-solving.
After talking to the client, we started to look at various test rig pump options for the high viscosity mixtures.
pressure controls
Because the liquids would be over 100,000 cst, but
shear-thinning, we had to install a hopper at the inlet of the pump. The auger screw within the hopper would produce reduce its viscosity. This process would also ensure that the
internal pump parts the pump was made from stainless steel, which also made cleaning much easier.
48 DESIGN SOLUTIONS DECEMBER/JANUARY 2026
with a seal quench to keep the seal faces free from debris which might encounter particles. This would also provide limited protection if the pump was ever ran dry. As well as the seal quench a probe was wired into the stator which would also to protect the pump from dry running. The probe works by sensing when the stator temperature reaches much higher than a normal operating temperature.
As the motor was located under the large hopper, the client wanted to be able to adjust the speed and direction of rotation remotely.
This meant that we had to specify a special motor which we supplied complete with remote control as well as a Bluetooth module, to control the pump via an app. We designed the pump to operate at between 15rpm and
8.5 bar.
To give the client precise pressure readings, the high-viscosity transfer pump was paired with a solid-handling diaphragm contain solids or form plugs, this transmitter avoids the with inert silicone oil, the diaphragm converts pressure into a output. Its specially designed high-viscosity rotors allow thick liquids to pass smoothly, providing accurate readings while preventing clogging—a perfect complement to the pump for this challenging polymer application. If you have an application involving the transfer of North Ridge Pumps to see how we can help.
North Ridge Pumps Limited 01773 316 519
sales@northridgepumps.com
www.northridgepumps.com
www.designsolutionsmag.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
