Paper & Pulp
Pump Applications

Wood chips and paper pulp are difficult materials to pump due to their viscous and abrasive nature. Centrifugal pumps quickly get worn down and lose their tolerances and suction capabilities. This results in significant downtime and costly spare parts.

The papermaking process utilizes several steps that will benefit from the advantages of the EDDY Pump. During the debarking and chipping process, trees are brought in, debarked and broken down into wood chips. The largest supply of wood chips for the papermaking process comes from the recycled cuttings from sawmills. From there, wood chips are fed by conveyor to a large digester tank where they are cooked in an acidic solution to dissolve the lingin and help separate the plant fibers. This process creates what is called wood-free pulp because the lingin has been dissolved. Finally, additives and dyes are added to the pulp solution, depending on the type of paper being manufactured. All of these steps include abrasive and corrosive slurries that need to be pumped from one location to another.

Transporting Wood Chips and Tree Bark is the first step of the papermaking process. Trees are stripped of their bark, and fed to woodchippers to break them down into small pieces that can be more easily turned to pulp.

Additionally, the abrasive nature of woodchips and bark will quickly destroy the impeller of centrifugal pumps and causes pump failures, costly repairs, and spare parts. Our pump has a high tolerance ultra-recessed rotor that withstands the destructive nature of abrasive pulp slurry.

Pulp Digester Tanks are used to break down the woodchips by removing lingin and separating fibers. This process incorporates abrasive slurries in addition to strong acids that are highly corrosive. These materials are difficult to pump and will quickly wear down pumps with critical tolerances.

The EDDY Pump does not require critical tolerances between the rotor and the volute, making the EDDY Pump the perfect solution for abrasive and corrosive paper and pulp applications. Moreover, the EDDY Pump will run continuously with significantly less spare parts needed and saving papermaking and production plants millions in total ownership cost over the life of the pumps.

The Pulp Bleaching Process involves moving the freshly separated pulp to large tanks for the injection of bleach, fillers, dyes and other materials required for the type of paper being produced. This process also removes any residual traces of lingin from the pulp. From here, the pulp is dried for use in the next step of the papermaking process.

Some industries, such as sugar production, produce large quantities of by-products, in this case, bagasse. Bagasse is the term for the leftover, crushed sugar cane material that is left behind after the sugar juice extraction process. This bagasse is used in some countries as pulp for papermaking.

Pulp Slurry Transfer is a constant process in the papermaking industry. At several stages of papermaking, pulp slurry is needed to be transported from one location to another. This slurry is often extremely viscous, heavy and abrasive which requires a pump built to withstand clogs, high solids content and corrosive materials.

EDDY Pump’s open rotor design promotes the passage of large solids such as woodchips, rocks, pulp and other fibrous material that easily clog centrifugal pumps.

Equipment Options For Job:

• Transporting Wood Chips: Submersible, EDDY Slurry Pump, Self-Priming Pump
• Pulp Digester Tanks:  Submersible, EDDY Slurry Pump, Flooded Suction, Self-Priming Pump
• Pulp Bleaching Process: Submersible, EDDY Slurry Pump, Flooded Suction, Self-Priming Pump
• Pulp Slurry Transfer: Submersible, EDDY Slurry Pump, Self-Priming Pump

The workhorse behind all of our pump and dredge products. The EDDY Slurry pump is a non-clogging pump capable of pumping high viscosity, high specific gravity, high abrasives, and highly corrosive materials. The EDDY Pump’s open rotor design allows the passage of solids of up to 12 inches and capable of pumping 30-70% solids by volume. The EDDY Pump is highly versatile and able to be deployed for a wide variety of heavy duty applications.

Hydraulic dredging has versatile applications in the gold mining industry, facilitating underwater gold extraction, sediment and tailings removal, pond dredging, reclamation projects, and environmental remediation. Its efficiency in handling underwater deposits, versatility, and environmental friendliness make hydraulic dredging a valuable tool for gold mining companies seeking to optimize their extraction processes and minimize ecological impact.

Self-Priming Pump

Most EDDY Pumps are submersible, with a self-priming unit, the pump and power unit are not submerged. The suction house goes into the slurry and the unit acts like a super-sized wet vacuum. This type of pump can remove air on its own and continue operation without assistance, making it perfect for mounting on a trailer that can be wheeled from location to location. Becuase the pump is not submerged, both the operation and maintenance of self-priming slurry pumps are economical and relatively easy.

Application: Pulp Slurry Transfer
Material: Wood pulp, in slurry form

Common Pulp Pumping Scenario:

The EDDY Slurry Pump is ideal for pumping large amounts of pulp slurry and aids with several stages of the papermaking process.   

By mounting the submersible EDDY Pump to a chemical sump or pulp digester tank, you can handle the most difficult pump applications. The EDDY Pump allows you to pump slurry at distances over 2-miles at production rates of up to 600 tons of mud per hour or 5000 GPM. 

Below are commonly distances we see, along with a pump curve to match the details. Contact us with your exact numbers.

Distance: 400 ft
Vertical Rise: 40 ft
Production: 1500 GPM

Equipment Used: EDDY Pump 6 Inch Submersible Sump Pump.
Power Options: EDDY Pump equipment can be powered by electric or hydraulic motor setups.  The ideal option is based on your project requirements.