ASM Failure Analysis Case Histories: Chemical Processing Equipment
Cavitation Erosion of a Zirconium Pump Impeller in an Aqueous Hydrochloric Acid Service Environment
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Published:2019
Abstract
Post-service destructive evaluation was performed on two commercially pure zirconium pump impellers. One impeller failed after short service in an aqueous hydrochloric acid environment. Its exposed surfaces are bright and shiny, covered with pockmarks, and peppered with pitting. Uniform corrosion is evident and two deep linear defects are present on impeller blade tips. In contrast, the undamaged impeller surfaces are covered with a dark oxide film. This and many other impellers in seemingly identical service conditions survive long lives with little or no apparent damage. No material or manufacturing defects were found to explain the different service performance of...
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Member Sign InR.J. Parrington, Cavitation Erosion of a Zirconium Pump Impeller in an Aqueous Hydrochloric Acid Service Environment, ASM Failure Analysis Case Histories: Chemical Processing Equipment, ASM International, 2019, https://doi.org/10.31399/asm.fach.chem.c9001718
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