Tag Archive for: high viscosity

Black Liquor

Black liquor is a by-product of the kraft pulping process, containing lignin, chemicals, and dissolved wood materials. It is a highly alkaline, viscous fluid that is concentrated and burned in recovery boilers to reclaim energy and chemicals for reuse in the mill.

Challenges:
Black liquor is both corrosive and sticky, with high viscosity that increases as it cools. It can cause scaling, crystallization, and deposits that clog standard pumps and piping. The chemical composition also leads to corrosion and mechanical seal wear, making reliability difficult to maintain in high-temperature service.

Solution:
Hevvy/Toyo’s pumps for black liquor service feature corrosion-resistant alloys, mechanical seal protection, and high-temperature capability. Their open and recessed impellers handle viscous fluids without clogging, and optional heating jackets or material upgrades ensure steady, reliable operation. These features extend equipment life and reduce unplanned maintenance in harsh liquor handling circuits.

Ethanol Production

Ethanol production from biomass or corn involves fermentation, distillation, and dehydration processes. Pumps play a key role in moving slurries of grain mash, yeast mixtures, and by-products such as stillage and syrup through different stages of the plant.

Challenges:
Ethanol production slurries are viscous and can contain fibrous materials that clog conventional pumps. Solids and organic residues promote bacterial growth, leading to scaling, odor, and maintenance issues. In addition, cleaning and sanitation requirements demand pumps that can be easily serviced and compatible with cleaning chemicals.

Solution:
Hevvy/Toyo’s agitator-equipped pumps handle thick, fibrous, and viscous slurries with ease. Their non-clogging impeller designs and rugged construction prevent blockages and minimize maintenance downtime. Available in stainless steel and elastomer-lined configurations, they provide reliable, hygienic, and efficient performance across ethanol processing stages — from mash transfer to stillage handling.

Mature Fine Tailings (MFT)

Mature fine tailings are a by-product of oil sands extraction, composed of fine clay, silt, water, and residual bitumen. They accumulate in large tailings ponds and require controlled movement for treatment, dewatering, or reclamation processes.

Challenges:
MFT is extremely viscous and thixotropic — it behaves like a solid at rest and a liquid when agitated. Its density and fine particles make it difficult to pump using conventional equipment, leading to frequent plugging, suction loss, and excessive wear. The abrasive nature and variable composition also shorten equipment life and increase downtime.

Solution:
Hevvy/Toyo’s agitator-equipped submersible pumps are engineered to handle high-viscosity, fine-particle slurries like MFT. The built-in agitator re-suspends solids, preventing settling and maintaining consistent flow. With hardened wet ends, recessed impellers, and high-chrome or elastomer linings, Hevvy/Toyo pumps provide reliable, low-maintenance performance in one of the toughest applications in the oil sands industry.

Desalting Sludges

Desalting sludges are dense mixtures of oil, water, and solids generated during the crude-oil desalting process. The desalting unit removes salts and other contaminants before refining, but this separation leaves behind thick, abrasive, and often corrosive sludges that must be safely removed and transferred.

Challenges:
These sludges are highly viscous and contain sticky hydrocarbons, solids, and sometimes corrosive chlorides, making them difficult to pump. Standard centrifugal pumps struggle with suction loss, overheating, or clogging, while maintenance can be hazardous due to the sludge’s chemical nature and high temperature.

Solution:
Hevvy/Toyo submersible agitator pumps excel in handling heavy, viscous, and abrasive sludge. Their agitator technology keeps solids suspended, while robust high-chrome or stainless-steel materials resist corrosion and wear. This ensures continuous operation with minimal manual intervention — reducing downtime, cleanup, and maintenance costs.