Case Study Overview

Site Water treatment plant
Location Puerto Rico
Repair Type Damage repair
Defect Pump left heavily worn by extraction of groundwater from a well

Repair Products

Ceramic Brushable Epoxy Coating

Case Study PDF

Case Study Details

The large water pump was used by the water treatment plant to extract water from a well. The water was then distributed around the entire site for various purposes, making the pump central to operations.

This natural groundwater contained minerals, sediments and impurities which caused deterioration to the pump. Over time, the pump became so worn and degraded that there was a substantial risk of bursting.

A burst would have been a disaster for the plant. Operations would have needed to be shut down and a replacement pump fitted. This would have been a costly and time-consuming exercise, potentially involving the fabrication of a new pump and its shipping to Puerto Rico.

Before the water well pump reached the stage whereby it needed to be replaced, the treatment plant decided to repair and reinforce the system using a hard-wearing, abrasion resistant coating.

Ceramic Brushable Green Epoxy Coating was used for the application. Ceramic Brushable is reinforced with silicone carbide, giving it a toughened, ultra-smooth finish.

It is painted onto surfaces which have suffered heavy damage or been weakened by corrosion and abrasion, restoring their strength and protecting the original part from further damage.

The two parts of the epoxy coating were mixed in the prescribed ratios and then brushed onto the pump. The 90 minute gel time of Ceramic Brushable enabled more epoxy to be mixed and applied without the threat of premature curing.

Four coatings were used, each between 1mm and 2mm thick. This built up a substantial, reinforced shell around the worn pump to restore the weakened metalwork to its original thickness.

With a recoat time of around four hours, it took two days to complete the repair. The application took place over night whilst the site was shut down to limit disruption and the cost was insignificant compared to fitting a new pump.

The treatment plant now monitor the pump on a regular basis for future wear caused by corrosion and erosion. When there are concerns that it is becoming too weak, further coatings of Ceramic Brushable are added to restore integrity to the pump.

Speaking about the process, the maintenance manager at the plant said: “The pump deteriorates very soon but coating it in Ceramic Brushable helps a lot.” In this way, Sylmasta have provided a cost-effective and long-term solution.

Products Used

Ceramic Brushable
Epoxy coating filled with silicon-carbide which creates a tough surface around metalwork

Related Case Studies

Case Study: Landscaping Materials Company Repair & Protect Warehouse Metal Pallet Slats

A landscaping materials supplier repair metal pallets at their warehouse damaged by having heavy and abrasive items like paving, slabs and stones stacked on them

Case Study: Copper Mine Repair Pump Housing Heavily Damaged By River Water Extraction

Pump housing left with corrosion, abrasion and wear damage after years of extracting river water full of sand, silt and other debris is repaired at a copper mine in Bulgaria

Case Study: Power Station Repair Extensive Damage to Alloy 20 Pump Lid Caused by Impeller

A pump lid made from Alloy 20 at a power station treatment plant undergoes repair instead of a $4000 replacement after extensive damage was caused by a falling impeller