The new and improved solution has been designed to provide ultimate wear and corrosion resistance. While developed for its Warman GSL pump series, the material can also be used for any acidic, light slurry application.

“We have enhanced our existing formulation to improve component wear life and meet the ever more demanding market’s needs,” engineering executive vice-president Patrick Moyer said.

Weir noted that the flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) application is unique, as there can be wide variations in pH experienced during operation, as well as the presence of erosive components in the slurry. This, in turn, makes selecting an optimum metal solution to cover the potential range of conditions difficult.

“We provide value by delivering materials and solutions aligned to the industry’s needs, which is why we developed Cerasmooth material,” director of research and development Edward Humphries said.

“The polymer matrix of [the solution] is almost impervious to the extremely acidic environments that can occur in FGD duties, and the ceramic filler provides outstanding wear resistance to the typical erosive particles in the slurry.”

With the newly improved compound possessing an equal combination of erosion and corrosion resistance, working in tandem to deliver the best life for an FGD circuit, Humphries said that its significant in-house wear testing has shown an improvement of up to 60% over the previous offering.

“This has been achieved by successfully improving the bond that holds the wear-resistant silicon carbide grains in place during the wear process,” he said, adding that mechanical strength and strain characteristics are both improved.

“Achieving flexible strength as high as double that seen in first generation materials.”

Utilising Cerasmooth can help operators improve pump service life versus metal and rubber liners; compared to a rubber-lined pump, it has an increased ability to withstand cutting damage that can be caused by pipe scale coming loose from the FGD circuit and passing through the pump.

Cerasmooth material is now available across the globe.