RTP Company's conductive compound meets safety requirements for mining pump

When All-Flo, a leading manufacturer of air-operated diaphragm (AOD) pumps, was challenged to construct an entire pump with conductive, but non-metallic materials, it worked in partnership with custom compounder RTP Company who recommended a material that enabled the successful production of a specialized version of the company's 1 inch (25 mm) polypropylene AOD pump.

All-Flo has been a pioneer in the use of non-metallic materials.  Traditional fluid handling pump designs favoured metals, but many end-users demanded non-metallic materials that better resist corrosion from harsh chemicals or reduce weight for portability. "Plastic materials provide benefits our customers need that we simply could not otherwise obtain," said Paul McGarry, All-Flo's Sales and Marketing Manager.

All-Flo's 1 inch (25 mm) pumps are the equipment of choice in mining operations because of their complete non-metallic construction. "Miners have to carry equipment down in tight elevators or often walk it from hole to hole; they tell us they really appreciate the weight difference our pumps deliver," said McGarry. "Using RTP Company's glass fibre reinforced polypropylene compounds enables us to achieve the considerable weight savings, while providing a stronger degree of resistance to atmospheric corrosion."

Working in partnership with All-Flo and its injection moulder, Royal Plastics of Mentor, OH, a number of materials were trialed and a variation of the proven RTP 100 Series glass fibre reinforced polypropylene compound that All-Flo already used was chosen after passing evaluation testing.  The addition of a carbon powder provided the conductive properties to meet the very specific and stringent customer requirements.