A centrifugal pump for hydrofluoric acid is one of the best solutions for handling hazardous and corrosive fluids within the CDR Pompe range. Hydrofluoric acid (HF) is among the most challenging substances to manage in the chemical and process industries. It is a colorless, highly corrosive liquid, extremely aggressive toward glass, ceramics, metals, and many traditional materials. HF is also notoriously dangerous to health, as it penetrates tissues and can cause deep necrosis, bone damage, and severe systemic risks upon contact or inhalation.
For these reasons, the transfer, handling, and safe management of hydrofluoric acid in industrial environments require plants and components built with highly specialized materials and technologies. It is therefore essential to adopt a centrifugal pump for hydrofluoric acid designed to ensure sealing, chemical compatibility, zero leakage, and operational durability under critical working conditions.
CDR Pompe, leveraging extensive experience in designing solutions for chemically aggressive fluids, has developed a range of magnetic drive centrifugal pumps specifically for the most hazardous and delicate contexts. These solutions go beyond simple chemical resistance, integrating advanced safety concepts, total fluid containment, reduced risk of plant downtime, and compliance with major international standards.
Within the range dedicated to the most critical fluids, the XTN-BL series stands out as a centrifugal pump for hydrofluoric acid engineered to provide maximum protection even under extreme operating conditions, combining advanced materials, sophisticated fluid dynamics design, and construction solutions that eliminate the risk of leaks or accidental emissions.
Hydrofluoric Acid: Chemical-Physical Properties and Associated Risks
Hydrofluoric acid (HF) can appear as a gas or, more commonly in industry, as a highly corrosive aqueous solution. Some properties make HF distinctly different from many other commonly used acids. For example, it attacks glass, ceramics, quartz, metals, cement, siliceous materials, and many plastics, meaning it cannot be stored in glass or metal containers.
Colorless at room temperature, HF remains highly corrosive even in moderate aqueous concentrations and is considered one of the most insidious acids for health: skin contact can cause severe burns, destruction of soft tissue, and deep penetration that damages bones. Inhalation of its vapors can lead to pulmonary edema and serious respiratory damage. When highly concentrated or inadequately contained, HF poses enormous safety risks for both operators and the environment.
Moreover, symptoms often appear hours after exposure, making this acid even more dangerous. These characteristics demand that every phase of storage, handling, and pumping be designed with stringent criteria, eliminating any risk of leakage, contamination, material degradation, or accidental exposure.
Industrial Applications of Hydrofluoric Acid
Hydrofluoric acid is used in numerous industrial sectors due to its exceptional ability to react with materials resistant to other acids and its role in synthesizing fluorine-based compounds. Key applications include:
- Semiconductor and microelectronics industry: HF is used in chip manufacturing for silicon oxide removal, wafer cleaning, and etching operations.
- Chemical and galvanic metal treatments: Pickling, surface cleaning, and preparation for welding or coating where aggressive chemical action is required.
- Production of fluorinated compounds, specialty polymers, metallic fluorides, and fine chemicals: HF is a fundamental raw material for synthesizing a wide range of industrial products.
This versatility makes hydrofluoric acid a key fluid in highly specialized industries, but its management requires a rigorous approach and dedicated systems.
Technical and Safety Challenges in Pumping Hydrofluoric Acid
Due to HF’s chemical aggressiveness and toxicity, pumping it poses critical challenges that manufacturers, plant designers, and operators must address carefully during design, installation, and operation:
- Common metals used in pumps (steel, iron, cast iron, standard alloys) are quickly corroded by hydrofluoric acid, leading to loss of integrity, mechanical failure, and leakage risk.
- Traditional seals and mechanical seals degrade rapidly and cannot guarantee complete resistance to HF: even micro-leaks pose enormous dangers for material corrosion and operator safety.
- Release of toxic vapors or gases (e.g., hydrogen if HF reacts with metals) can create serious environmental hazards, explosion risks, or highly dangerous inhalation exposure.
- Maintenance becomes a risk factor and requires advanced safety procedures, trained personnel, high-level protective equipment, and containment measures, resulting in significant costs and risks.
Therefore, using a “generic” pump for hydrofluoric acid is unacceptable. A solution specifically designed from the outset to withstand HF and ensure maximum safety and reliability is essential.
Key Requirements for a Hydrofluoric Acid Pump
A centrifugal pump for hydrofluoric acid is not just a corrosion-resistant machine but a complex system designed from the ground up for risk management. The design must aim to eliminate every possible weak point, considering not only chemical compatibility of materials but also failure scenarios, abnormal operating conditions, and maintenance needs in high-risk environments.
Essential requirements include:
- Hermetic sealing and absence of traditional mechanical seals — ideally a magnetic drive system (mag-drive) that eliminates gaskets, O-rings, and any potential leakage points.
- Materials compatible with HF: fluoropolymers (e.g., PFA, PTFE) or other technical polymers resistant to corrosion. Conventional metals should be avoided.
- No metallic parts in contact with the fluid, or if present, components made of ceramic or silicon carbide (SSIC) for durability in aggressive chemical environments.
- Hydraulic design capable of handling impurities or suspended solids: open impeller, wide flow channels, geometries that prevent clogging and ensure stable pumping.
- Certifications and regulatory compliance (e.g., ATEX for classified zones), along with design according to international standards for operational safety.
- Reliability and long-term durability, minimizing maintenance needs and operational/environmental risks.
Hydrofluoric Acid Pump: The XTN-BL by CDR Pompe
The XTN-BL range by CDR Pompe is designed to meet these challenges. It consists of horizontal, single-stage centrifugal pumps with magnetic drive (mag-drive) and internal components lined with fluoropolymer materials.
Main technical features of the hydrofluoric acid pump:
The XTN-BL, part of the Series X, features a sealing system based on magnetic drive, eliminating traditional mechanical seals entirely. This design ensures a truly hermetic pump, guaranteeing zero fluid leakage and, consequently, zero toxic emissions in the workplace—a critical factor when handling substances like HF.
The pump body and impeller are lined with PFA, a fluoropolymer offering excellent chemical resistance to hydrofluoric acid. This lining is integral to the machine’s functional structure, ensuring long-term stability under continuous and aggressive operating conditions. Additionally, the containment shell is reinforced with carbon fiber, combining mechanical strength and chemical compatibility, ensuring high structural safety even under thermal and mechanical stress.
An open impeller and diamond-coated bushings allow the XTN-BL to handle fluids containing suspended solids or impurities effectively, maintaining wide flow channels that reduce clogging risk. This is particularly important in real industrial processes where HF may carry particles or residues that would quickly impair performance in traditional configurations.
Benefits in Hydrofluoric Acid Applications
Using a centrifugal pump for hydrofluoric acid like the XTN-BL offers benefits beyond chemical resistance, improving overall industrial risk management. In these applications, the system must not only operate correctly but also ensure absolute safety over the long term.
The mag-drive technology combined with a lined pump and open impeller guarantees:
- Maximum operational safety, eliminating any leakage points and protecting operators and the environment.
- Maximum chemical compatibility and corrosion resistance, even with aggressive fluids like HF.
- Operational continuity and reduced downtime, thanks to robust materials and simplified maintenance without aggressive interventions on seals or sensitive components.
- Versatility and reliability in chemical, galvanic, etching, metal treatment, fluorinated compound production, and other industrial processes involving HF.
Thanks to mag-drive technology and fluoropolymer construction, the XTN-BL is a top-of-the-line centrifugal pump for hydrofluoric acid, designed to deliver safety and performance levels unattainable with traditional pumps.
HYDROFLUORIC ACID PUMP: COMPATIBILITY AND CHEMICAL RESISTANCE
In industries where the use of hydrofluoric acid is an integral part of delicate processes, from glass or semiconductor etching to chemical treatments of metal surfaces and the synthesis of fluorinated compounds, choosing the right pump must be done with the utmost care. A centrifugal pump for hydrofluoric acid must guarantee chemical compatibility, absolute sealing, zero emissions, robustness, and reliability.
The XTN-BL range from CDR Pumps offers exactly this combination: fluorinated materials, magnetic design without mechanical seals, resistant components, open impeller, and hydraulic layout designed for aggressive fluids. For a company that needs to handle hydrofluoric acid safely and continuously, the XTN-BL is one of the most robust, professional, and reliable solutions on the market today.
For any specific requirements, customized sizing, or to integrate the pump into complex systems with compliance requirements (ATEX, safety, automation), contact the CDR Pompe team directly for technical advice and design support.