PROMOL 

Synthetic Rubber Production: How to Pump Promol Without Bubbling

With this pump, nothing stands in the way of constant pumping of Promol

Promol is used, among other things, in synthetic rubber production as a compound separation agent due to its excellent separation properties. But precisely, these properties posed significant problems for the centrifugal pumps used by a synthetic rubber manufacturer in Indonesia to pump Promol and thus prevented the start of the new production plant.

NETZSCH Pumps & Systems, the global specialist in handling complex fluids, was able to provide a solution quickly thanks to globally available components. We will show you how to benefit from NETZSCH experts’ experience.

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Promol, Synthetic Rubber, NETZSCH, Pumps, Systems

Properties of Promol that need to be considered when pumping

Approximately half of the 20 million tonnes of rubber produced annually is of synthetic origin. Various mixtures of synthetic rubber are available. Some of them are more suitable than their natural counterparts for multiple applications. The most common type of synthetic rubber worldwide is styrene-butadiene rubber. Like butadiene rubber, this synthetic rubber is produced in a plant in Indonesia. At the site in Banten, a province on the island of Java, 120,000 tonnes of raw material for tyre production are produced annually. The modern plant is considered one of the most efficient and makes production much more environmentally friendly. To prevent the non-vulcanised rubber compounds from sticking together, the Indonesian producer uses the compound separation agent Promol. Promol's excellent separation properties enable low consumption rates and ensure that as little separation agent as possible gets into the rubber compound. This is important for high-quality further processing.

Pumping Promol: Challenges in synthetic rubber production

Everything went smoothly during the construction and commissioning of the new production facility in Banten, Indonesia - with one exception. After the entire plant had been installed, one component, a centrifugal pump lined with polyvinylidene fluoride intended to pump Promol, did not function as desired. The staff noticed intense bubbling inside the centrifugal pump shortly after the plant started. In addition, the lining began to come loose. Therefore, a permanent pumping of Promol with the centrifugal pump was impossible. This posed significant problems because production had to start as soon as possible. However, this was impossible without the release agent ensuring the safe storage of the rubber. In search of a quick solution to the problem, they contacted NETZSCH regarding a pump with as little shear as possible to safely convey the Promol dispersion.

120000

tonnes of raw material for tyre production pumped annually

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With the NEMO® BY progressing cavity pump in FSIP® design with xLC® stator adjustment system, you can reduce your maintenance time by up to 66 percent.

How to pump Promol efficiently and without bubbles

The global specialist for pumping complex liquids produces numerous types of pumps, including the NEMO® progressing cavity pump series. NEMO® pumps are very robust and suitable for shear-sensitive media such as Promol. The low shear forces acting on the medium in the pumps enable you to use the pumps even in the food industry. Due to the continuous and low-pulsation conveying, the pumps are ideally suited for use in many sensitive areas. The innovative design prevents foam or bubbles. Progressing cavity pumps provide continuous, pressure-stable, gentle and low-pulsation pumping of media such as Promol. The NEMO® progressing cavity pump convinces rubber manufacturers with another feature: A constant, non-decreasing flow rate is elementary for the production process because if the supply of separation agent stops, there is an immediate danger that rubber sheets will stick together and become hardly usable for further processing. The high precision of progressing cavity pumps makes them even more suitable for metering tasks. Therefore, they are the optimal solution to pump Promol.

To solve the problem as quickly as possible, the NETZSCH experts used pumps in stock. With components permanently available globally in all major markets, the world leader in manufacturing progressing cavity pumps ensures that even urgent orders can be fulfilled as quickly as possible. Since the pump was installed in August 2018, the synthetic rubber manufacturer has been extremely satisfied with the unit. There are plans to use the NEMO® in other plants as well. Thanks to convincing products and fast service, an acute production emergency has been turned into a reference project that convinces the customer all along the line.

Do you also want to optimise your synthetic rubber production? Get in touch with your contact person and let us advise you. Thanks to NEMO® progressing cavity pumps, foam and bubble formation when pumping separation agents such as Promol aren't a problem any more.

NEMO® BY progressing cavity pump in industrial design 

NEMO® BY Progressing Cavity Pump in Industrial Design, NETZSCH, Pumps, Systems