Our Keraman® Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMC) materials are specifically designed to perform in the toughest operating conditions by withstanding high temperatures, thermal shocks, aggressive media and mechanical stresses. Such operating conditions are typical for many different industrial heavy-duty pumps like tubular casing pumps.
Tubular casing pumps are used to transport e.g.
- seawater into desalination plants,
- cooling water for power plants and industrial plants like chemical plants and refineries
- industrial water to gas-desulphurisation plants
- water for irrigation and drainage purposes – including stormwater
- raw and clean water for water works
- water to operate docks, locks and sluices
Such pumps require excellent material properties of shaft sleeves in a dry or lubricated friction environment in order to perform safely, constantly efficient, reliably and long-term.
Keraman® CMC shaft sleeves for slide bearings in pumps have been commercially introduced in tubular casing pumps for power plants and seawater desalination stations for many years.
Emergency-pumps are also frequently equipped with journal bearing sleeves made of Keraman®. Due to the high fracture toughness and good thermal shock behaviour of the shaft sleeve the bearings of these pumps can even handle sand and mud in the media, and yet have a higher reliability and life time than metals and conventional monolithic ceramics.
Due to the fiber reinforcement of our ceramics, our sleeves provide performance where other materials fail. Compared to metals and conventional ceramics like monolithic silicon carbide, our Keraman® can withstand a multiple of the loads yielding much higher power in the friction system and a non-fatal fracture behavior.
Keraman® CMC samples bending strength:
