Pumping POME & Slurries: The Definitive Guide to Non-Newtonian Fluid Verification Beyond Water: The Definitive Guide to Pumping Viscous, Dense, and Non-Newtonian Fluids in Malaysian Industry  If you manage a Palm Oil Mill, a chemical plant, or a heavy industrial process you already understand the operational cost of using the wrong pump. Downtime, premature part wear, and repeated equipment failures often point to one root cause: The fluid does not behave like water. POME, sludge, slurry, and many industrial chemicals are viscous, dense, and often non-Newtonian. Whatsapp Us Now FAQS on Viscosity,Density & Non-Newtonian fluid How does fluid viscosity and density directly impact centrifugal pump selection and performance? Viscosity significantly reduces the head, flow rate, and efficiency of a centrifugal pump. Corrected performance curves are required when viscosity increases.Density (Specific Gravity, SG) directly increases motor power demand; a denser fluid requires a higher horsepower motor to generate the same head. What is a Non-Newtonian fluid (like POME or sludge), and why is it difficult to pump? A Non-Newtonian fluid changes viscosity depending on shear rate within the pump. Shear-thinning: viscosity decreases with shear (e.g., paint). Shear-thickening: viscosity increases with shear (e.g., heavy slurry). These fluids are difficult to pump because sizing must consider both static viscosity (startup condition) and dynamic viscosity (running condition). When is a Positive Displacement (PD) pump required instead of a centrifugal pump? PD (Positive Displacement) pumps, such as lobe, gear, and screw pumps, are typically required when: Fluid viscosity exceeds 1000 cP, or The application demands high pressure / low flow. PD pumps deliver nearly constant flow per revolution, making them stable under viscosity and pressure variations. LET US FIND YOU BEST PUMP SOLUTIONS Viscosity significantly reduces the head, flow rate, and efficiency of a centrifugal pump. Corrected performance curves are required when viscosity increases.Density (Specific Gravity, SG) directly increases motor power demand; a denser fluid requires a higher horsepower motor to generate the same head. A Non-Newtonian fluid changes viscosity depending on shear rate within the pump. Shear-thinning: viscosity decreases with shear (e.g., paint). Shear-thickening: viscosity increases with shear (e.g., heavy slurry). These fluids are difficult to pump because sizing must consider both static viscosity (startup condition) and dynamic viscosity (running condition). PD (Positive Displacement) pumps, such as lobe, gear, and screw pumps, are typically required when: Fluid viscosity exceeds 1000 cP, or The application demands high pressure / low flow. PD pumps deliver nearly constant flow per revolution, making them stable under viscosity and pressure variations. LET US FIND YOU BEST PUMP SOLUTIONS Ancillary Sizing and Material Risks Preventing Failure: Suction Line Sizing and NPSH for Viscous Media How can I prevent cavitation when pumping hot, viscous fluids? Hot and viscous fluids reduce available NPSHa. Prevention involves: Heating the pump casing or piping to maintain lower viscosity. Oversizing the suction line to reduce friction losses. Selecting a pump with very low NPSHr, such as one with an inducer or double-suction design. The Dual Threat: Temperature, Density, and Material Degradation Does fluid temperature affect the density and pump material selection? Yes. Temperature affects both the fluid’s density (altering motor HP demand) and the pump’s material performance. Elevated temperatures can accelerate corrosion and reduce tensile strength in plastics or elastomers, requiring specialized metals or high-performance alloys. The POME Verification Checklist (Reducing Financial Risk) Procurement of a pump for Non-Newtonian service involves specialized checks that vendors often miss. Your verification must cover the entire system, not just the pump itself. Rheology Data Mandate Demand the supplier provide performance curves based on the fluid’s Apparent Viscosity at the pump’s operating shear rate, not just the static viscosity. Whatsapp Us Now Motor Sizing for Density Verify the motor horsepower (kW) is correctly sized for the fluid’s Specific Gravity (SG). A pump handling a dense slurry (SG > 1.0) will require significantly more power than the water-based rating. Pslurry = Pwater × SG Critical Velocity Check (Slurries) Ensure the pipe flow velocity is verified to be above the Critical Settling Velocity. If the velocity is too low, solids (slurry) will settle in the pipe, leading to catastrophic blockage and pipe wear. Abrasion & Erosion MOC Confirm internal wetted parts are made of high-chrome iron or specialized elastomeric liners (for centrifugal) or heavy-duty elastomer stators (for PC pumps) to withstand the abrasive nature of POME solids. ENGINEERING PUMPS COMPARISON MADE EASY Contact info@machinelist.com +6012-2198991 Follow Us Facebook X-twitter Linkedin Tiktok Youtube PumpMalaysia.com © 2025 Machine List Sdn Bhd All Rights Reserved