Chemical Pumps for Formaldehyde

Choosing a Formaldehyde Industrial Pump

Formaldehyde, also known by its systematic name methanal, is a colorless organic compound with the chemical formula CH2O. It is a widespread precursor to other chemical compounds and materials. The worldwide annual production capacity for formaldehyde is estimated to be close to 10 million tons. In 2003, the value of purchased formaldehyde and its derivatives was over 145 billion USD. In the U.S. and Canada alone, over 4 million people work in the formaldehyde industry. The chemical Formaldehyde can also be heavy depending on the concentration and temperature.  If the specific gravity is more than 1.1, a trimmed impeller is absolutely necessary to prevent decoupling or overloading the motor.

Higher concentrations and higher temperatures of the chemical Formaldehyde together or by themselves, may make the pumps listed above unsuitable. It is highly recommended, regardless of the temperature or concentration, that you contact a local distributor or March Manufacturing direct to review your application before ordering a pump. Considering the toxicity, and volatility of formaldehyde, it poses a significant danger to human health and should be handled with great care and contained at all costs.

Listing of March Pump Formaldehyde Distributors

Chemical Pumps for Formaldehyde

Formaldehyde, chemically written as CH20, is a chemical compound that has long been known as a preservative chemical used in many products and applications and across a wide-range of industries. Formaldehyde is used in a wide range of products, including every day products like glues and finishes. Formaldehyde is, however, toxic and it needs to be handled properly.

When looking to pump formaldehyde, March Pump can be highly accommodating with a wide-range of chemical pumps fully equipped to handle this chemical. Some of those include the TE-5K-MD 1 Phase Magnetic Drive Pump, with a maximum flow of 18 gallons per minute at a maximum head of 29 feet, in addition to the TE-7.5P-MD Magnetic Drive Pump. March Pump is happy to offer magnetic drive and magnetically coupled pumps with maximum flows that range from 10 gallons per minute all the way to 200 gallons per minute.

The diversity of pumps offered by March Manufacturing is beneficial to clients with a wide variety of business, chemical and industrial challenges. Often, these challenges are best mitigated and accommodated using a chemical pump from March Pump. March’s team of experts encourages clients to leverage their knowledge and expertise when looking for the right pump to ensure the selection of the best pump possible for whatever chemical you’re pumping.

Disclaimer: These are only some of the pumps that can handle these chemicals.

What are Some Applications of Formaldehyde in the Industry?

Some of the common use cases of the chemical are as follows:

1. In Cars and Trucks: Formaldehyde is used to manufacture various components for the electrical system, transmission, engine block, brake shoes, and door panels, just to name a few. Even the paint is created with the help of formaldehyde.
2. Vaccines: The chemical is used as an agent to inactivate viruses, effectively preventing them from causing diseases. Bacterial toxins, like the toxin used to produce diphtheria vaccine, are also neutralized with formaldehyde.
3. Flooring, Furniture, Stairs and More: Glues that are created with the help of formaldehyde are excellent bonding agents. For instance, formaldehyde-based resins are used to make composite products. These resins are very common in manufacturing cabinetry, furniture, moldings, shelving, flooring, stair systems and other household furnishings.
4. Other Use Cases: These other uses include the production of inks, wrinkle-free clothing, and preservatives.

What are the Properties of Formaldehyde that Will Affect the Pump Type and Pump Material you Select?

Formaldehyde is highly corrosive and extremely volatile. It is also extremely toxic and very small amounts can be deadly to humans and animals alike. These properties make a leak-free high-quality system for handling formaldehyde imperative. For pumping the chemical at room temperature, centrifugal sealless magnetic drive pumps built with Kynar Plastic or Polypropylene are recommended. Encapsulated Impeller and Teflon O-Rings will help to avoid any leaking of formaldehyde.

Depending on temperature and the concentration, formaldehyde can be heavy. To handle cases where specific gravity is more than 1.1, it is extremely important to use a trimmed impeller to avoid decoupling or overloading the motor.

What Materials Can Best Handle Formaldehyde?

While some metals like Hastelloy “C” can handle formal formaldehyde, plastics are more resistant to the chemical and bestow the pump with a longer leak-free life. In particular, Ryton, Polypropylene, Delrin, and Kynar show enhanced endurance when coming in contact with formaldehyde, but on the other hand, Nylon is not recommended at all. For bushings, Carbon, Ceramic, Mica Fill Teflon, and Ryton Teflon Carbon are all good choices depending on specific gravity and temperature. For O-rings, Teflon is recommended, while Viton should be avoided at all costs and Buna “N” shows performance problems and is not very wise to use.

Figure 1: Formaldehyde Concentrations and Pump Materials

A single or collection of material/s may be rated for a higher temperature/s then the pump as a whole is capable of. It is important to contact a March representative to determine if the pump as a complete unit is suitable for the concentration and temperature of any chemical.

Finding the Right Formaldehyde Pump

Here at March Pumps, we offer a wide range of chemical pumps that cover virtually over any industry and special use case. The type of the pump you choose greatly depends on the concentration of the chemical, its temperature, specific gravity and many other factors. For further info, we encourage you to have a look at our specially designed pumps for handling formaldehyde and contact our friendly support team for further assistance. Please give us a call or contact us online.

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