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Fluids Handling

China’s largest lithium battery materials producer opts for Bredel APEX pumps

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Quzhou Huayou New Technology Co Ltd, a specialist in battery materials manufacture and part of Huayou Cobalt, has installed several high-performance Bredel APEX hose pumps from Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group (WMFTG). Introduced following a major investment in 2018, the Bredel APEX pumps are providing optimum performance at the company’s plant in Quzhou, some 200km southwest of Shanghai.

Huayou Cobalt was founded in 2002 to specialise in the R&D and production of new energy lithium-ion battery materials and new cobalt materials. Company products include battery-grade cobalt tetroxide and high-purity battery-grade cobalt sulphate. To help support its growth, group company Quzhou Huayou New Technology invested CNY 6.4 billion (approximately £700m) two years ago, a move that would see it become the largest lithium battery materials manufacturer in China.

Rising demand

Global battery-making demand is rising rapidly, with some projections predicting that lithium-ion energy storage requirements will increase tenfold by 2040. Much of this extra demand will be placed on China, where some estimates suggest up to 73% of global lithium-ion battery production is already located.

Quzhou Huayou New Technology uses its various Bredel APEX pumps to transfer a number of different liquid chemicals from raw material tanks to reaction tanks. For instance, the plant’s APEX10 (10 mm inner diameter element), which is the smallest pump in the Bredel APEX range, is handling ammonium hydroxide at relatively low flows.

The larger pumps on site, such as two APEX28 units, are transferring nickel sulphate and sodium hydroxide, while the largest pump in the Bredel APEX range – the APEX35 – is being deployed at Quzhou Huayou New Technology to transfer liquid supernatant. Supernatant is the resulting fluid after a mixture of liquid and solid has been left to settle out, or centrifuged to provide separation.

china lithium battery materials producer

Decisive factor

All of the pumps at Quzhou run with a maximum discharge pressure of 3 bar, which is ideal for the APEX series and was a key factor in the purchase decision over the higher pressure Bredel range.

With their seal-less, valve-less design, APEX pumps are engineered for a more competitive price/performance ratio in comparison with high-pressure hose pumps. APEX pumps are designed to suit all dosing, metering and transfer applications with unmatched flow stability from 2.8-6200 l/hr.

As a new set-up project, the Watson-Marlow team was engaged at an early stage, specifying the optimum fluid-handling solutions to suit the various applications on site. Of course, this task not only involved pumps, but the corresponding precision-machined hose elements.

Correct hose element selection is critical to ensure pump performance, durability and efficiency. Bredel composite reinforced hoses are constructed from high-quality compounded rubbers fortified with four individual layers of braided nylon. Inner and outer layers are extruded and, after construction, machined to ensure critical tolerances are maintained.

At Quzhou, NR (natural rubber) hoses were identified for the APEX10 and APEX35 applications, while EPDM hoses are used with the APEX28 pumps.

Innovative products

Upon placing the order for the Bredel APEX pumps and hoses from WMFTG, a representative of Quzhou Huayou New Technology said: “This order is confirmation of outstanding enterprise, innovative products and an excellent team.”

The pumps are installed on several process lines that operate on a batch production basis. When a line is running, the pumps will typically operate for 24 hours over a period of 7-10 days. Once a batch has been completed, the production line will stop until the next batch is required.

WMFTG now has many Bredel pumps serving lithium-ion battery applications in China, helping manufacturers meet ever-more demanding production schedules.

Further information can be found at www.wmftg.com

Watson Marlow
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Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Solutions

About us

Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group (WMFTG) peristaltic tube and hose pumps meet requirements including: value for money; low cost of ownership; reliability and ease of maintenance to the food and beverage, chemical, pharmaceutical, mining and many other industries.

We demonstrate how pumps deliver significant process efficiencies over the lifetime of the equipment. Whether performing flavouring addition in food processing, chemical metering in water treatment or mineral recovery, we have a solution which can cut pump downtime and reduce costs through higher accuracy metering and transfer. WMFTG has dedicated application engineers available to help customers make the right pump and tubing choice from a range providing microlitres per minute to 80 cubic metres per hour flow rates.

The only part of the pump to come into contact with the product is the tube or hose. This means there are no seals or valves that can wear or fail. Replacing the tube or hose can be performed quickly and safely. Peristaltic pump benefits include:

Total fluid containment with no seals No ancillaries Handle viscous and abrasive slurries and sludge Self-priming capability Dry running without damage to the pump In addition to their range of positive displacement pumps, Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group has added PTFE-lined chemical and industrial hoses to their range. Aflex hoses are reinforced to withstand the most severe conditions and use.

Where we supply to

Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, South America, North America

Industries we supply to

Automation, Chemicals, Consultants, Components Electronics, Energy and Power, Food and Beverage, Glass Ceramics Cement, Metals and Minerals, OEM, Paper and Pulp, Pharmaceutical Cosmetics Toiletries, Plastics and Rubber, Recycling, Textiles, Tobacco, Water and Wastewater

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