Liquids
Our application engineers would like to extend their experience in troubleshooting and product alignment to you through our liquids list below. Though this is not a complete listing of the broad range of liquids that Viking pumps can manage, this is an overview of frequent liquids. Do you have a unique application? Reach out to your local stocking distributor. We can work together to find a solution that best suits your pumping needs.
Acids & Bases
Extremes on the ends of the pH scale that can result in severe corrosion and chemical attack of the pump body, gears, bushings, and elastomers. Pump construction will ultimately be driven by the specific liquid being handled and the construction that offers the greatest chemical resistance.
Adhesives
Adhesives are a group of substances, such as cement, glue, mucilage, and paste that are capable of holding materials together by surface attachment. Adhesives are made from many different basic materials, among them dextrin, latex, liquid rubber, resin, sodium silicate, and starch. Adhesives are used in the manufacture of cardboard boxes, plywood, furniture, paper bags, pressure sensitive tapes and many industries including automotive, printing, manufacturing, etc.
Alcohols
Chemical compatibility ranges greatly based on the alcohol and the subsidiary branch chains attached to it, resulting in potential chemical attack of the pump body, gears, bushings, and elastomers. Pump construction will ultimately be driven by the specific alcohol being handled and the construction that offers the greatest chemical resistance.
Ammonia
Ammonia is a very thin liquid that is colorless. It is typically kept under pressure to keep it in liquid form. It is also soluble in water and alcohol. It is primarily used in fertilizers but is also used in refrigeration.
Asphalt Cement
Clean asphalt contains no fillers and is an oil based liquid. It is primarily used in paving roads, waterproofing liquids, and paints. Typically they are handled at elevated temperatures to reduce the viscosity of the asphalt. The pump needs a source of heat like jacketing or electric heat to prevent the product from solidifying in the pump.
Asphalt Emulsions
Emulsions are asphalt suspended in a mixture with water or other liquids. This is done to ease the application of the asphalt. Uses would be crack filling, coating roadways, or waterproofing. These emulsions are shear sensitive and must be handled with care.
Biofuels
Biofuels include Biodiesel and Ethanol. These are fuels made from renewable resources and typically blended with refined fuels as additives.
Black Liquor Soap
Black liquor soap (skimmings) is the fatty and rosin acid content of black liquor that floats to the surface after partial evaporation of the water content. Black liquor soap is a raw material for tall oil and can range in viscosity from 22 cP. to 5500 cP, depending on the temperature it is handled at.
Black Liquor Soap
Caulks
Caulks are silicone based adhesives and sealants used in industrial and home construction. Typically high viscosity & shear sensitive.
Caustic (Sodium Hydroxide)
Sodium hydroxide is soluble in water, alcohol and glycerol. It is used in the manufacture of other chemicals, rayon and film, petroleum refining, pulp and paper, making of aluminum, refining vegetable oil, in detergents, soaps, textile processing, in reclaiming rubber and as an alkali in foods. The viscosity ranges from water-thin to 40 cP depending on concentration and temperature.
Chocolate
Cacao beans are roasted, ground up, and mixed with oils to get a semi-liquid which is the beginning point in the making of chocolate. Early stage chocolate is known as bitter chocolate. Add sugar and it is known as sweet chocolate. Add milk for milk chocolate. If the chocolate has been thinned down it is chocolate liquor. It can be diluted with fats like palm nut or coconut oils.
Chocolate
Cooking Oils
Hot cooking oils are used primarily for deep fat frying of vegetables and meats. Some cooking oils or fats will become solid at room temperature, however the pumps are typically located close enough to the supply that it keeps the pump warm. The viscosity is typically water-thin at normal operating temperatures.
Cooking Oils
Creams
Creams are typically for personal use by consumers for cosmetic and surface medical treatments. Physical properties and chemistry can vary greatly depending on the cream base and added substituents. Some creams will be petroleum based like Petroleum Grease, while others may be emulsions suspended in water. They typically are shear-thinning mixtures.
Crude Oils
This is a very generic term for unrefined oils typically being recovered from the ground. Some crude oil may contain particulates from the oil well or recovery method. They are considered to be flammable liquids. Crude oils are later refined and used for everything from making plastics to gasoline.
Diesel (#2 Fuel Oil)
Diesel is distilled from petroleum and is typically used in heavy equipment as fuel. While it is thin diesel is somewhat lubricating. It is typically handled in a bulk transfer application or on back-up generator skids.
Dyes
Liquid based colorants are used in the chemical, petroleum, and industrial processes as a color indicator for identifying batch processes and what stage they are at in production. These dyes can be corrosive, such as "Red Dye" commonly used in Diesel Fuel production. When handling concentrated or pure dye, construction materials with high level corrosion resistance may be needed.
Filled Asphalt
Filled asphalts contain particulate used in the liquids’ end applications. Examples of this would be roofing materials and hot mix plants. Typically they are handled at elevated temperatures to reduce the viscosity of the asphalt mixture. The pump needs a source of heat like jacketing or electric heat to prevent the product from solidifying in the pump.
Gasoline
Gasoline is a mixture of volatile hydrocarbons suitable for operation of internal combustion engines. It is also used as a solvent. It is dangerous because of its flammable nature. Avoid long suction lines and high suction lifts.
Greases
Commonly referred to as lubricating, automotive, or bearing grease. Generally mixtures of a mineral oil with one or more metallic soaps; the most common are those of sodium, calcium, barium, aluminum, lead, lithium, potassium and zinc. The texture of grease may be smooth, buttery, ropy, fibrous, spongy or rubbery. Viscosities range greatly. However, grease is extremely shear sensitive. Typically flow is aided by a follower-plate on the supply tank.
Heat Transfer Liquids (Hot Oil)
Heat transfer liquids, heat transfer oil (HTO) or hot oil, are generally made from one of the following: mineral oil, diphenyls, modified terphenyls or polyalkalene glycols. Heat transfer liquids are used for transferring heat from a source to a point of use such as dies, presses, cooking vessels, processing equipment, etc. Most are handled at temperatures up to 600°F.
Heat Transfer Liquids (Hot Oil)
High Fructose Corn Syrup
High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is usually followed by the percentage of fructose in the liquid, ranging from 42 to 55%. It is most commonly used in soft drinks, jams, and jellies as a sweetener. Temperature regulation is relevant because discoloration of the liquid could occur at elevated temperatures.
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Inks
Inks for flexible packaging are shear sensitive liquids that can have a variety of solvents, waxes, surfactants, and semi-solid resin particles, and pigment load concentrations that bring with them abrasive wear and chemical compatibility concerns.
Isocyanate
Also known as TDI, MDI, or diisocyanate. Isocyanate is used as a hardening or curing agent in polyurethane foams, industrial coatings, elastomers, inks, and resins. It is extremely sensitive to moisture in the air and hydrocarbons making air-tight seal options extremely critical. There are also the health & safety concerns of handling this product, making a sealless mag-drive option highly desirable.
Latex
Latex is the generic term for emulsions of polymer in water that is stable. These emulsions can be natural or be synthetically made. This liquid is typically very shear sensitive and requires care when pumping.
Lecithin
Lecithin is a mixture of triglycerides, fatty acids, and carbohydrates that typically ranges in viscosity up to 5000 SSU, but may be more viscous depending on make-up and temperature. It is typically derived from soybean oil but may also be obtained from egg yolks, corn, or other vegetable seeds. It has a low solubility in water but is an excellent emulsifying agent, so it is used in margarine as well as chocolate and confectionary products as a non-sticking agent.
Lecithin
Liquefied Gases
Liquefied gases are under high tank or system (inlet) pressure and lower temperatures to prevent them from vaporizing under atmospheric pressure and ambient temperature conditions. This includes Butane, Propane, Liquid Nitrogen, Methane, etc. The high system pressure keeps the gases in a liquid state and helps propel the liquid through the system under low differential pressure across the pump.
Lotions
Lotions are typically for personal use by consumers for cosmetic purposes. Most lotions are used for softening or moisturizing skin. Some lotions are used to deliver medicine to unbroken skin as well. Typically these are emulsions with oil suspended in water and shear-thinning.
Lube Oil
Lube oil as the name implies is used to lubricate machinery. They are used in everything from small backup generators to naval ships. Sometimes they are handled at higher pressures to ensure their penetration.
Massecuite
Massecuite is the mixture of raw sugar crystals and molasses, made by seeding supersaturated cane or beet juice, prior to the removal of the molasses by centrifuging. It contains a high concentration of abrasive sugar crystals.
Massecuite
Molasses
Molasses is defined as the syrupy mother liquor left after sucrose has been removed from the cane juice by concentration. If only one crop of crystals had been removed, it is called First Molasses. If the second crop has been removed, the product is termed Second Molasses, and so on. When no more cane sugar can be extracted it is called Final Molasses or Black Strap Molasses.
Molasses
Molten Sulfur
Molten Sulfur is a difficult to pump liquid due to the very narrow temperature range that it can be handled. Molten Sulfur is typically solid up to 240°F, and then re-solidifies again around 370°F. The suggested handling range is 270°F - 310°F, where the viscosity is 6 - 9 cP. The pump needs a source of heat like jacketing or electric heat to prevent the product from solidifying in the pump.
Paints
Paints are shear sensitive liquids that can have a variety of solvents & pigment load concentrations that bring with them abrasive wear and chemical compatibility concerns.
Peanut Butter
Peanut butter is made from mixing ground up peanuts with various additives and fillers. From the mixer, peanut butter is pumped through a deaerator and/or heat exchanger to remove entrained air and drop the temperature prior to being pumped to the jar filling machines.
Polyol
Alcohols having many hydroxyl radicals are called polyols. Many companies market polyols under their own trade names. Product viscosity varies greatly depending on the specific polyol, but can be as thick as 40,000 cP. Polyols are often blended with isocyanates, so pumps handing polyols are often requested to be built using isocyanate compatible lubricants.
Polyol
Polyurethanes
Polyurethane foam is produced when a polyether is treated with a isocyanate in the presence of water and a catalyst, as well as fillers, dispersing and emulsifying agents, etc. The water reacts with the isocyanate group to cause cross linking and curing, and also produces carbon dioxide which causes foaming. If the polyurethane has already been blended with the isocyanate cure agent, refer to Isocyanate liquid.
Polyurethanes
Polyvinyl Acetate (PVAC)
Poly Vinyl Acetate, or PVAC, is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, transparent, thermoplastic solid. It is used in latex water paints, in hot melt and other types of adhesives, for coating and finishing fabrics, as a component of lacquers, inks and in caulking compounds and chewing gum. PVAC is insoluble in water, oils and fats, but soluble in alcohols, esters, benzene and ketones.
Reclaimed Asphalt
Reclaimed Asphalt is typically a dirty or filled asphalt containing a bitumen blend with solids that could be limestone or rubber based. These solids result in very high viscosities and abrasive nature, resulting in the need for extra clearances, low run speeds, and the inclusion of hardened parts.
Reclaimed Asphalt
Refined Fuels
Refined fuels would include petroleum based fuel oils and some Jet Fuels. Their viscosity and temperature handled can vary greatly. Normally these are handled in bulk transfer operations.
Resins
Resins are high viscosity liquids with potentially shear sensitive (thinning) components, and made up of solvents, waxes, surfactants, and semi-solid resin particles all with various chemical compatibility concerns. In some cases, containing pigments that bring with them abrasive wear concerns.
Rubber Cement
Rubber cement, also referred to as contact cement covers a wide range of materials; some may be emulsions sensitive to shearing; others may be flammable because of their vehicles; others may be water solutions, which are used in a variety of adhesive-type applications. Due to the variance in material and solvent used, the viscosity varies greatly, but rubber cement is normally considered to be quite viscous.
Shampoo
Shampoos are used for personal and pet care hygiene products. They typically are shear-thinning mixtures and lubricating.
Soaps
Kettle soap, soap stock, soap skimmings, and liquid soap are a mixture of sodium salts of various fatty acids of natural oils and fats. Common soap is largely a mixture of the sodium salts of palmitic, stearic and oleic acids. Rosin soaps for laundry purposes are made by adding a soap made from rosin or rosin itself to an ordinary soap. Castile soaps are made from olive oil. Liquid soap is usually a potash soap dissolved in water.
Solvents
The wide range of viscosity of various solvents plays a key role in determining the best pump for handling the application. Pump construction will ultimately be driven by the specific liquid being handled and the construction that offers the greatest chemical resistance and is the most viscosity appropriate.
Starch
Starch is derived from corn, arrowroot or potatoes. It is used for making adhesives, for the sizing and finishing of textiles, in foods, in sizing paper, in making explosives, in medicines, face powders, cosmetics, bookbinding, making glucose, malt sugar, caramel and in cattle feeds. It is shear sensitive (thickens) and viscosity varies from a few centipoise to over 20,000 cP depending on the type of starch, concentration in the liquid, and temperature.
Sugar Magma
Sugar magma is a mixture of sugar crystals and liquid. It has a high viscosity and is abrasive. The crystals within the magma can be damaged, so need to be handled with larger, slower running pumps.
Sugar Magma
Toothpaste
Toothpastes are used to keep teeth clean and healthy. Typically it is abrasive to assist in breaking up plaque that has formed on teeth. Usually it is also fairly viscous.
