POLYCRYSTALLINE DIAMOND (PCD) BEARING UPGRADE SAVES POTASH MINE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS PER MONTH IN FRESHWATER FLUSH

Cutlass Bearings Barely Made One-Year Turnaround Schedule

The cutlass rubber bearings on a bottom-entry mixer at a potash mine needed frequent freshwater flushing, costing thousands of dollars each month.

As potash brine crystallizes quickly and accumulates around the bottom seal area, the constant flushing was necessary to prevent the formation of a salt-like crust, leading to premature bearing wear and failure.

The agitator’s cutlass bearings would barely make the one-year turnaround schedule, and the expense of constant freshwater flushing was far from ideal. The potash mine needed a solution.

Boulden has extensive experience supplying solutions for tough mixer and agitator applications, and recommended replacing the cutlass bearings with polycrystalline diamond (PCD) bearings.

Compared to cutlass bearings, PCD bearings have superior physical properties and are more resistant to abrasives such as potash, sand, and grit. PCD bearings are also unaffected by salts and brine, and their ultra-hard, low-friction surface make them ideal for this type of application.

Several months after the PCD bearings were installed, the flush was removed. After three months with no flush, the PCD bearings showed no signs of wear. The bearings were checked again after one year, and still showed no signs of wear. Impressed with the PCD bearings’ performance, the customer has since upgraded the remaining slurry mixers on site.