��ר�� Pumps and Compressors

Powering Global Agriculture: The Critical Role of Sulfuric Acid and High-Performance Pumps

anna byun — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 22:04:25 +0000

In the world of industrial chemistry, few substances carry as much weight as sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄). Sulfuric acid is the most widely produced chemical in the world; it is a dense, colorless, and highly corrosive mineral acid that serves as a fundamental building block for modern society. While it is vital to many sectors, its most significant contribution is invisible to most: it is the primary engine behind the global fertilizer industry, ensuring food security for billions.

The Versatility of Sulfuric Acid

Sulfuric acid is incredibly versatile due to its strong acidic nature and its ability to act as a dehydrating agent. Beyond the farm, it is used in:

Metal Processing: Pickling and cleaning steel and copper.
Oil Refining: Removing impurities during the production of gasoline.
Chemical Manufacturing: Producing detergents, resins, and plastics.
Battery Production: Serving as the electrolyte in lead-acid batteries.

However, the agricultural sector is the undisputed leader in consumption. Approximately 60% to 65% of all sulfuric acid produced globally is used specifically to manufacture phosphate fertilizers.

The Gold Standard: The Contact Process

To meet this massive global demand, sulfuric acid must be produced efficiently and at a high scale. While there are various methods, the Contact Process is the most widely used production method today.
This process involves four primary stages:

Sulfur Burning: Pure sulfur is burned to create sulfur dioxide gas.
Catalytic Oxidation: The gas is passed over a catalyst (usually vanadium pentoxide) to convert it into sulfur trioxide.
Absorption: The sulfur trioxide is absorbed into concentrated sulfuric acid to create “oleum.”
Dilution: The oleum is carefully mixed with water to reach the desired concentration of sulfuric acid.

The Heartbeat of the Plant: Where Pumps Are Used

In a sulfuric acid plant, pumps are the “circulatory system” that keeps the process moving. Because the chemicals involved are aggressive, the choice of pumping technology is a matter of both efficiency and safety. Key applications include:

Molten Sulfur Transfer: Pumping liquid sulfur at high temperatures (140°C) into the burner. Honeywell ��ר��’s Marelli VS4 pump is best suited for the high-performance requirements of this application.
Acid Circulation: Moving concentrated sulfuric acid (98%) through absorption towers to capture gases. Honeywell ��ר��’s Ansimag pumps are best suited to handle the highly corrosive acid, through it’s sealless design and chemical compatibility. For applications needing metallic sealless designs or higher temperatures, Honeywell ��ר��’s HMD Kontro pumps are the best fit.
Heat Exchanger Circulation: Managing the fluids used to cool the intense heat generated during the chemical reaction.
Chemical Dosing: Precisely injecting water or additives to achieve the correct acid concentration.
Effluent Treatment: Handling wastewater and neutralizing chemicals before they leave the facility.

Why Pump Technology Matters

Pumps in this environment do not have an easy job. They must manage aggressive and corrosive chemicals that can dissolve standard metals in a matter of hours. A pump failure doesn’t just stop production; it presents a major safety risk to operators and the environment.

To ensure reliability, these pumps must meet extreme performance requirements:

Corrosion Resistance: Using specialized alloys or lined materials that do not react with the acid. Honeywell ��ר��’s Ansimag sealless pumps are either ETFE or PFA lined and best suited for highly corrosive and heat sensitive Oleum transfer applications. For services where metallic pumps are needed, Honeywell ��ר�� HMD Kontro pumps offer robust, sealless pump performance with a range of metallurgies available to suit a variety of acid services.
Temperature Tolerance: Honeywell ��ר��’s Ansimag pumps deliver safe and leak-free handling for temperatures up to 121°C / 250°F. For higher temperature applications, Honeywell ��ר�� HMD Kontro sealless pumps can safely handle temperatures of up to 315°C / 600°F.
Zero Leakage: Utilizing advanced magnetic drive technologies, Honeywell ��ר��’s Ansimag and HMD Kontro pumps are completely leak free providing total containment of hazardous Oleum and other corrosive substances. Secondary control and containment options are available for additional protection.
High Efficiency: Operating at peak performance to reduce the energy footprint of the plant is an important consideration for Users. Honeywell ��ר�� Ansimag and HMD Kontro sealless pumps utilize highly efficient hydraulic designs with non-metallic shell options – including the HMD Kontro Zero Loss shell – to eliminate induction losses and increase energy efficiency.

Selection Criteria for Operators

When selecting a pump for sulfuric acid production, plant operators should prioritize the following:

Material Compatibility: Ensure the pump’s “wet-end” materials are specifically rated for the concentration and temperature of the acid being moved.
Sealing Reliability: Consider sealless (magnetic drive) pumps for hazardous areas to eliminate the risk of seal failure, the most common cause of pump downtime.
Ease of Maintenance: In a 24/7 production cycle, the ability to service a pump quickly is essential for maintaining “Mean Time Between Maintenance” (MTBM).
Supplier Expertise: Work with a manufacturer that understands the unique hydraulics of high-density chemicals like sulfuric acid.
Safety: Sealless pumps are self-contained. The containment shell provides a complete mechanical barrier, preventing leaks, escapes and emissions.

Summary: Ensuring a Sustainable Future

Sulfuric acid remains the backbone of global fertilizer production, turning raw minerals into the nutrients that feed our world. The Contact Process allows for the mass production of this essential acid, but the process is only as reliable as the equipment that manages it.

As a highly corrosive fluid, Sulfuric Acid poses unique challenges in pump design for which Honeywell ��ר��’s Ansimag and HMD Kontro sealless pumps are well suited, not only in terms of corrosion-resistance, but through the leak-free, sealless design with minimal maintenance requirements, improved reliability and reduced lifecycle costs.

High performance pumps are the silent heroes of this industry. By choosing pumps designed for extreme corrosion resistance and leak-free operation, fertilizer producers can ensure a safer, more efficient, and more sustainable supply chain for global agriculture.

For more information: .

Sunflo Pumps in Paper Mill Applications

anna byun — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 15:40:46 +0000

High-pressure pumps play a critical role throughout the paper production process. From supplying water to the high-pressure showers to feeding trim squirts, these pumps ensure continuous and efficient operation for the highest quality paper production.

High-pressure showers are used to remove contaminants and improve the felt’s performance. They keep the wire mesh clean and hydrated for efficient paper production.

Trim squirts use high-pressure water to cut the edges of the wet paper web before it enters the press section. This process ensures a consistent sheet width throughout the production process.

Boiler feed water pumps maintain proper water levels and pressure within the steam boiler to ensure continuous and efficient steam generation.

What is imperative to the paper mill operator?

Pump reliability
Consistent flow and pressure
Efficient water and energy consumption
Easy maintenance

How do Sunflo pumps satisfy these requirements?

Sunflo pumps are integrally geared centrifugal pumps that deliver pulsation-free high pressure at low to moderate flow. The single stage, high speed design results in a small, skid mounted unit that is perfect for space-constrained installations near the paper machine.

Pump reliability

Multiple flush plans reduce particulate build up at single seal for longer seal life
Close coupled design eliminates alignment concerns between motor and pump
Open clearances between the impeller and the casing help tolerate poor water quality
No utility required outside of power to the motor
Corrosion-free 316 stainless steel construction of the hydraulic components
Heavy duty hydrodynamic thrust bearing handles 100% thrust loads from suction transients in the boiler feed water application
Pre-warming of the pump is not required in the boiler feed water application

Consistent flow and pressure

Multistage performance achieved with a high-speed single stage
No tight wear tolerances mean no performance degradation over time
Cavitation-free with ��ר�� advanced inducer technology for low NPSH available situations

Efficient water and energy consumption

Sunflo is sized and controlled to operate at the pump’s Best Efficiency Point to optimize energy consumption and component life
Compact design allows for versatile options for installation locations, including close to the paper machine to reduce pressure losses

Easy maintenance

Field replaceable shaft assembly for quick replacement and minimum downtime
Minimum parts while providing multistage performance in a single stage pump
Discharge orientation can be rotated every 90 degrees for ease of installation

Performance Data:

Capacity: up to 550 gpm (125 m³/h)

Head: up to 5,500 ft (1,700 m)

Temperature: up to 350°F (177°C)

Speed: up to 21,000 rpm

Frequency: 50/60Hz

Inverter Ready

Materials of Construction

Process Side: 316 Stainless Steel

Gearbox: Aluminum

Gears and Shaft: Steel per Agma Rating

Seal Plans: Plan 11, 13, 21, 23, or 53/54

Seal Material: Carbon, Silicon Carbide,
Metalized Carbon

Trusted by paper mills worldwide, Sunflo pumps have consistently delivered performance and reliability. For more information, please .

How are Pumps & Compressors used in Advanced Recycling?

anna byun — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 20:23:48 +0000

For an overview of how our rotating equipment portfolio supports Advanced Recycling processes, please refer to our .

What is Advanced Recycling?

Advanced Recycling is a set of processes that use thermochemical reactions to break plastics down into liquid or gas molecules, which can then be used as a feedstock for new products.

Advanced recycling is important because it promotes a circular economy in two key ways:

Expands scope of waste that can be recycled: Advanced recycling expands the types of plastics that can be recovered, when compared to traditional mechanical recycling.
Improves quality of recovered products: Advanced recycling recovers the molecular building blocks of waste plastic. These raw materials can then be used as a feedstock for new products – including new virgin plastics or hydrocarbon fuels of the same quality and composition as the original product.

Why is Advanced Recycling important?

The world is using more plastic than ever. There is approximately 400 million tonnes of plastic waste generated every year . Some forecasts suggest that volume could triple by 2050 with economic growth and increases in global population. Due to limitations of traditional recycling, approximately 85% of plastic used today ends up in a landfill and roughly 98% is originally made from “virgin” fossil fuel feedstock¹.

For these reasons, the plastic industry contributes significant GHG emissions for new plastic production, while also causing environmental damage due to the large volume of plastic waste that ends up flowing into the environment.

Direct methods of reducing consumption of plastic products and eliminating single-use plastic products are two primary ways of addressing plastic pollution. Advanced Recycling offers an additional solution by increasing the amount of waste than can be recycled, which offsets some demand for new fossil plastic production and reduces the amount of waste that ends up in landfills, waterways or the ocean.

What processes are used in Advanced Recycling?

There are 3 main categories of advanced recycling processes:

Gasification: break-down plastic under high temperatures (ranging from 500 to 1,300°C) in the presence of oxygen and/or steam to produce syngas
Pyrolysis: break-down plastic under high temperatures (ranging from 300 to 900°C) with little or no oxygen present to produce pyrolysis oil
Depolymerization (or Chemolysis): chemical treatment to convert plastics, typically polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste, into monomers using a solvent (e.g. the reverse of polymerization)

The choice of technology and process is driven by the composition of the plastic waste feedstock and the new end-product that is desired.

What pumps and compressors are used in Advanced Recycling?

Advanced Recycling processes can involve high heat, chemical treatment, and product recovery, and upgrading. ��ר�� has 75 years of experience providing critical rotating equipment to heavy industrial and hydrocarbon processing facilities and is building on this experience to provide high-quality equipment for advanced recycling processes. By providing both pumps and compressors, ��ר�� offers the unique ability to be a comprehensive OEM for advanced recycling facilities. We are working with technology licensors, EPCs, and recycling companies to provide solutions in this industry.

For additional information and to see an overview of where our rotating equipment portfolio fits into Advanced Recycling process flow diagrams, refer to our .

PPI Compressors

Experience unmatched reliability and leak-free operation with ��ר��’s PPI diaphragm compressors, engineered to provide ultra-pure compression for hydrocarbon products and critical gases. Ideal for applications requiring small flow rates and high pressures, diaphragm compressor technology stands alone in delivering superior performance where other volumetric compressors fall short. The sealed design ensures exceptional safety and minimal maintenance, with no lubrication required on the gas side, making it an optimal choice for demanding industrial environments.

��ר�� Compressors

Developed from more than 70 years of technological advancement and with 5,000 units installed worldwide, ��ר��’s latest generation of integrally geared compressors delivers the industry’s best engineered-for-reliability solution for the Energy, Petrochemical, Chemical and General Industry sectors. Designed to meet API-617 and related standards for mission-critical applications, our solution ensures up to 7 years of continuous operation – minimizing downtime, maximizing performance and delivering oil-free process gas with zero emissions.

��ר�� LMV Pumps

��ר�� integrally geared centrifugal pumps are optimized for low flow-high head applications. They offer the highest efficiency in the low flow range with a proven track record of high reliability. A single impeller in a ��ר�� LMV pump spins at high speed to produce the same head as a multistage pump running at synchronous speed. ��ר�� LMV pumps are ideally suited for services such as boiler feed water pumps, condensate transfer pumps, solvent circulation pumps and reflux pumps. To achieve higher heads yet, two or more integrally geared stages run in series in a ��ר�� HMP pump. The compact design reduces installation cost, and the simplicity limits the number of spare parts while making maintenance easier.

Sealless Magnetic Drive Pumps – HMD and ANSIMAG

��ר�� sealless pumps provide optimum safety and environmental protection for a wide range of applications found within Advanced Plastic Recycling. These magnetic driven pumps are designed for harsh and hazardous liquids, and applications that are difficult to seal. HMD Kontro metallic and Ansimag ETFE-lined sealless pumps ensure total product containment, increased reliability and uptime and simplified maintenance with no seals or seal support systems, whilst meeting industry standards such as ASME, ISO and API.

Marelli Pumps

Marelli pumps leverage a track record of more than 60 years in centrifugal pump design, development, manufacturing and service, to fulfill the latest standards for oil & gas, petrochemical and clean energy markets. Marelli pumps are designed for extreme reliability and a wide range of flow rates, to accommodate the most stringent customer specifications.

Sunflo Pumps

Industrial grade Sunflo pumps are specifically designed for low flow-high head applications such as boiler feed water, condensate, demineralized water circulation. Sunflo pumps leverage the engineering knowledge and legacy of the ��ר�� heavy duty API integrally geared pumps. A single impeller runs at high speed to produce high heads in a very compact and reliable design. The close coupled configuration eliminates alignment, simplifies installation while further reducing footprint. The Sunflo cartridge shaft assembly comes complete with all the rotating parts and enables quick and easy servicing of the pump in-place.

To learn more about how ��ר��’s pumps & compressors are supporting Advanced Recycling around the globe, or to speak with a ��ר�� representative about a project opportunity, please .

¹ United Nations Environment Programme. Beat Plastic Polluion.

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