The Difference Between Mud Pumps and Slurry Pumps

Mud pump and slurry pump are both a kind of impurity pump. What are the differences between these two pumps that make it difficult for users to choose?

1. The difference in the pumped medium

Mud pump, as the earliest pump type, is generally made of cast iron. Its wear resistance is low. As an important part of drilling machinery, it can only be used to transport mud or slurry that contains suspended particles. Slurry pumps are mainly used in the mining industry to transport slag-containing slurry, they can also be used to transport slurry.

2. The mud pump needs to be equipped with auxiliary equipment, while the slurry pump does not need

When mud pumps work, they often need to be used in conjunction with high-pressure clean water pumps. High-pressure pumps can deliver clean water that exceeds the pressure of the mud pumps to the leak-proof packing to protect the packing, otherwise, it is easy to wear the sealing part; while the wear-resisting slurry pump can complete the conveying work alone, without help from other auxiliary equipment.

3. The difference in working principles

The working principle of the mud pump is that the motor drives the piston through the link mechanism, which causes the change of the enclosed volume in the mud pump, and forms the change of the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the pump, thereby completing the water absorption and drainage process; while the working principle of the wear-resisting slurry pump is that the motor drives the impeller to rotate, that is, the impeller works on the slurry to increase the kinetic energy of the slurry.

4. The difference in application areas

Due to the different application mediums of the two pumps, the application fields will also vary. Slurry pumps are mainly used in metallurgy, electric power, mining, coal, and other industrial sectors to transport slurry with solid particles; while mud pumps are mainly used to transport suspended slurry in drilling, pharmaceutical, brewing, papermaking, and other industries.