Recent developments in corrosion-resistant metallic alloys for construction of seawater pumps

The location of power stations, refineries, and chemical plants on the coasts, the massive growth in desalination plants in the Middle East, and the growth of the North Sea offshore industry in the past 10 years have substantially increased the quantity of seawater being handled. Conveying this seawater from the sea to locations within the plant for cooling or desalting purposes requires many pumps, which traditionally have been constructed from cast iron, Ni-Resist, gunmetal, bronze, and stainless steel. The majority of these materials have given an adequate cost-to-life performance. The choice of materials for seawater pumps is continually growing; this article discusses the most likely choices commercially available: high-strength cupronickels; duplex stainless steels; high-alloy austenitic stainless steels; high-nickel alloys; and titanium and its alloys