drum pumps for haz. mat'ls 2

[chemeng421]

Hello

I am in the process of looking for two drum pumps, one to be used on sulfuric acid and one to be used with 32% potassium salt in methanol. I need the potassium methylate drum pump to be speced as a hazardous location as methanol is highly flammable in addition to being classified as highly corrosive (xp motor with high corrosive pump). The other sulfuric acid drum pump is a highly corrosive but low flammability and high reactivity (air driven motor with high corrosive pump).

Below are the estimated NFPA ratings:

1) Potassium Methylate (32%)

Health: 3
Fire: 3
Reactivity: 2

2) Sulfuric Acid (98%)

Health: 3
Fire: 3
Reactivity: 2

If anyone has any recommendations for drum pumps to be used for these materials, along with what kind of relief systems I can find for the drum vents themselves, I would appreciate it.

Thank You

 

[chemeng421]

Also, all though we have removed ignition sources and placed ground clips on the drum, it would seem to me that using an air-driven motor for an explosive material would be out of the question.

If anyone could confirm this (we don't want to have to use an xp electric motor if we can avoid it), that would be great.

 

[ash9144]

You can use nitrogen to drive the air pump.

I would look at some other storage for the H2SO4 like tote or tank rather try to pump out of drum. The high SG of the acid make gravity a good mode of transport depending on your lay out.

 

[chemeng421]

Thanks for the post. We have considered using nitrogen to operate the air motor. We're planning on pumping out of a drum for now b/c we're not using that much of it at a time.

As for the H2SO4 we might do a gravitational feed but we'll be using even less of that than the CH3OK.

 

[Compositepro]

Air motors are commonly used in flammable environments using compressed air. In fact Gast compressors which are similar in design to their air motors are used for vapor recovery in gas stations.

 

[StoneCold]

Air motors are fine for exp environment. If you are sucking material out of the drums you probably want to put an N2 blanket on the drums to keep the head space inerted.

Regards
Stonecold

 

[pumpguykc]

AN AIR DIAPHRAGM PUMP WOULD WORK VERY WELL IN THIS APPLICAITON PLUS YOU CAN HAVE A DIAPHRAGM LEAK DETECTOR INSTALLED TO SHUT THE AIR LINE DOWN AND SEAL THE CONTAMINATION OFF. THE DIAPHRAGM PUMP WILL COME WITH VARIOUS MATERIALS OF CONSTRUCTION IN THE SUCTION TUBE. LET ME KNOW THE FOLLOWING AND I WOULD BE HAPPY TO SIZE YOU A PUMP FOR THE APPLICATION.

GOOD LUCK