Slurry pumps are the circulatory system of a mineral plant: they move abrasive, solids-laden slurry between every wet unit operation. The XPA centrifugal slurry pump is built for exactly this duty, with heavy wear-resistant wetted parts that survive the constant scouring of sand and ground ore that would destroy an ordinary water pump in days. It is used for mill discharge, cyclone and hydrocyclone feed, flotation transfer, thickener underflow and tailings.

How it works

Like any centrifugal pump, a rotating impeller throws slurry outward to build pressure and flow. What makes it a slurry pump is everything around the impeller: thick, replaceable liners; a robust impeller cast from hard alloy or molded in rubber; large clearances that pass coarse particles; and a heavy bearing assembly to carry the side loads of dense slurry. Liners and impeller are the wear parts and are designed for straightforward replacement.

Selection logic

Pump selection is set by duty point – required flow and total head – and by the slurry itself: solids concentration, particle size and abrasiveness. As a rule of thumb, slurry pumps run derated against clean-water curves, and are best operated below about 75-80% of maximum impeller speed to extend wear life. Metal (hard-alloy) wet ends suit coarse, high-head duty; rubber-lined ends suit fine, highly abrasive slurries. Xinhai sizes the pump and selects liner material to your duty and ore.

• Wear-resistant liners and impeller for abrasive slurry
• Metal or rubber wet ends to match the slurry
• High solids handling with large through-flow clearances
• Heavy bearing assembly for long, reliable service

Operating for wear life

The single biggest lever on running cost is impeller speed: every percent of extra speed multiplies wear, so pumps are sized to meet the duty at modest speed rather than running a small pump flat out. The XPA pump is the standard mover for thickener underflow and for feeding dewatering equipment. It supports circuits from a gold processing plant through to tailings disposal.

See the full slurry pumps range. For help selecting pump size, liner material and duty point for your slurry, contact our engineers.