Effect of transfer medium on wear rate of groove seals of centrifugal pumps

The effect of various liquids (oil, water) transferred by centrifugal pumps on the wear rate of their groove seals is studied and the findings are analyzed. The transfer medium was shown to significantly influence the wear rate. The liquid effect can be both positive and negative depending on the metal used to make the components of the groove seal. The wear of the groove seal is low if alloys based on copper are used. To the contrary, the wear increases if groove seals are made of steel, which may be due to the specific physicochemical processes.