Vesconite Engineered Polymer Used in Condensate Pumps
Vesconite Hitemp 150 bearings ready for dispatch. (Image source: Vesconite Bearings)
This is why, when a large energy company in Africa required lineshaft and bowl bearings for condensate pumps at its 4,000 MW power station, it turned to Hitemp 150, an engineered polymer produced by Vesconite Bearings, that can survive temperatures up to 150°C (300°F).
The condensate pumps in question reach temperatures of 110°C (230°F), so the contractor to the power producer is satisfied that the pumps will last and that the bearings will not melt, as would be the case with many other polymers.
An order for machined items and stock hollow bar was dispatched in June 2020 and the machined items were due to be installed soon after receipt. The remaining stock items are to be machined by the contractor and were to be installed soon after the initial installation.
Vesconite Bearings pump expert Charlie Simpson estimates that the large order will be used in four pumps each measuring about 10 meters in length. The company dispatched three different bearings sizes for shaft diameters of 50 mm (2") as well as three different sizes of stock hollow bar, weighing 90kg in total.
“Hitemp 150 is an ideal material for pumps in temperature-challenging environments,” says Simpson.
The polymer, which is typically red in colour, has a short-term temperature limit of 170°C (340°F), a temperature rating of 150°C (300°F), and a resistance to hot water and steam of up to 120°C (250°F).
Source: Vesconite Bearings
