{"id":3601,"date":"2026-10-09T11:52:41","date_gmt":"2026-10-09T03:52:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.marquetearte.com\/blog\/?p=3601"},"modified":"2026-10-09T11:52:41","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T03:52:41","slug":"what-materials-are-metering-pumps-made-of-4036-9bdf5e","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.marquetearte.com\/blog\/2026\/10\/09\/what-materials-are-metering-pumps-made-of-4036-9bdf5e\/","title":{"rendered":"What materials are metering pumps made of?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hey there, if you\u2019ve ever stopped to wonder what\u2019s inside a metering pump (you know, those tiny but mighty workhorses that dose exact amounts of chemicals for water treatment, pharma, or even backyard pool maintenance), you\u2019re in the right spot. As a metering pump supplier who\u2019s been on the ground helping folks pick the right gear for over a decade, I get asked this question all the time. People assume it\u2019s just a hunk of metal and a seal, but nope\u2014every part of a metering pump is built for a specific job, and picking the wrong material can turn a simple dose into a huge mess (we\u2019ve all heard the horror stories of a pump failing mid-batch because of a cheap part, right?). Today, we\u2019re breaking down exactly what these pumps are made of, no stuffy jargon, just real talk from someone who\u2019s seen it all. Metering Pump<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

First off, let\u2019s start with the most obvious part that touches the fluid: the wet-end. That\u2019s the section that holds the chemical you\u2019re dosing, and it\u2019s make-or-break because chemicals can be finicky. I\u2019ve had a client dump $10k worth of raw material because they used a pump with a plastic wet-end that dissolved in a harsh acid. Not fun. So what materials do we actually use here? Let\u2019s run through the big ones, and why we pick each.<\/p>\n

First up, PVC. Yeah, you\u2019ve heard of PVC\u2014it\u2019s that clear or gray plastic used in plumbing. Wait, no, not just plumbing-grade PVC. For metering pumps, we use what\u2019s called CPVC sometimes, or high-grade PVC that\u2019s stabilized for chemical resistance. It\u2019s cheap, lightweight, and works great for mild stuff like chlorine, dilute acids, and even some household chemicals. But here\u2019s the catch: it\u2019s not for everything. If you\u2019re dosing hot chemicals (anything over 140\u00b0F) or strong solvents, PVC will start to warp or leach weird stuff into your fluid. I had a wastewater client try PVC for a 120\u00b0F bleach solution a few years back\u2014within two weeks, the wet-end had swollen so bad the flow rate was off by 30%. That\u2019s when they switched to PVDF, and haven\u2019t had an issue since.<\/p>\n

Speaking of PVDF, that\u2019s a big one for us. PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) is a fluoropolymer, like Teflon, but way more durable for heavy industrial use. It\u2019s acid-resistant to almost every common industrial chemical, works in temps up to 300\u00b0F, and doesn\u2019t leach even when you\u2019re dosing super pure stuff\u2014perfect for pharma or semiconductor manufacturing where contamination is a death sentence. We use PVDF for like 40% of our metering pumps now, mostly for clients in water treatment and specialty chemicals. Yeah, it\u2019s a bit pricier than PVC, but the peace of mind is worth it. One food and beverage client we work with uses PVDF pumps for dosing food-grade citric acid, and they\u2019ve had zero contamination issues in five years. That\u2019s the stuff you can\u2019t put a price on.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s stainless steel. Wait, not your regular kitchen stainless\u2014we use 304 and 316 grade stainless steel for metering pumps. 304 is the standard, works for mild acids, bases, and even saltwater (to a point). But 316 is the heavy hitter\u2014has molybdenum added, so it resists corrosion from chlorides, strong acids, and even things like sulfuric acid at medium concentrations. We save stainless steel for jobs where plastic can\u2019t cut it, like dosing hot sulfuric acid for metal plating, or brine for desalination plants. The downside? It\u2019s heavy, it can rust if you don\u2019t pick the right grade (we\u2019ve seen 304 fail in high-chlorine environments), and it\u2019s more prone to scratching, which can lead to leaks over time. But when you need it, you need it. I always tell clients: if your chemical is anything stronger than 5% hydrochloric acid, skip the plastic and go for 316 stainless.<\/p>\n

Oh, and let\u2019s not skip glass. Wait, glass? For metering pumps? Yeah, specialty glass (like borosilicate or even quartz glass) is used for super corrosive chemicals, like hydrofluoric acid, that even PVDF can\u2019t handle. It\u2019s inert, doesn\u2019t react with almost anything, and lets you actually see the fluid moving, which is a huge plus for small-batch pharma or lab applications. The downside? It\u2019s fragile\u2014so you only use glass for low-pressure, low-volume pumps, not for heavy industrial jobs where it might get jostled around. We\u2019ve got a few lab clients who swear by their glass wet-ends for testing new chemical formulations, since they can spot a bubble or a reaction instantly.<\/p>\n

Now, moving beyond the wet-end, let\u2019s talk about the other parts that keep the pump running. The diaphragm, for example\u2014this is the part that actually moves to push the fluid through, right? It\u2019s the heart of a metering pump, and most of the failures we see are diaphragm-related. What are those made of? Again, depends on the job. EPDM is common for mild chemicals, seals well, and is cheap. We use EPDM for a lot of pool and mild water treatment applications. But for harsh stuff, we use PTFE (Teflon) diaphragms. PTFE is non-reactive, works in almost every chemical, and holds up way longer than rubber. The only downside? It\u2019s more expensive, and it\u2019s not as flexible as rubber, so it might not be the best for low-flow, high-cycle applications. We\u2019ve got a food processing client that uses PTFE diaphragms for dosing vinegar and other acidic food ingredients, and they last 2x longer than the old EPDM ones they were using.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the pump head, the part that holds the diaphragm and connects the wet-end to the drive. Most of the time, the pump head matches the wet-end material\u2014so PVC heads with PVC wet-ends, stainless heads with stainless wet-ends. But some pumps have a lining inside the pump head if the main material isn\u2019t chemical-resistant. Like, we\u2019ve had aluminum pump heads lined with PVDF for clients who need aluminum\u2019s strength but PVDF\u2019s chemical resistance. It\u2019s a middle ground, works great for medium-duty jobs where cost is a factor.<\/p>\n

Seals and O-rings\u2014these tiny parts get overlooked, but they\u2019re the reason pumps don\u2019t leak. What are those made of? Same as the diaphragms, mostly EPDM, PTFE, or Viton (which is another brand of fluoropolymer, super chemical-resistant). We always tell clients: if you\u2019re switching to a new chemical, never forget to check the O-ring material. Last year, a paint manufacturing client bought a pump from a supplier that used cheap EPDM O-rings for a strong solvent they were dosing. Within a month, the O-rings crumbled, and they had 50 gallons of solvent leaking all over their floor. Total disaster\u2014cost them way more than saving a few bucks on parts. That\u2019s why we never skimp on seals, even if it means a small upcharge.<\/p>\n

The drive mechanism, too\u2014wait, that\u2019s the part that actually powers the pump, right? The motor and the crankshaft? Most of those parts are made of steel, but they\u2019re usually coated or treated to resist corrosion. For example, we use zinc-plated steel for the drive parts in most of our standard pumps, and for heavy industrial pumps, we use powder-coated steel or even stainless steel drive parts to handle harsh factory environments. I always tell clients to ask about the drive material if their pump is going to be outside or in a damp area\u2014regular steel will rust if you don\u2019t coat it right.<\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s get real for a sec: there\u2019s no \u201cone-size-fits-all\u201d material for metering pumps. I see so many clients try to save money by buying the cheapest pump they can find, only to end up replacing it every six months, or worse, dealing with a chemical leak. Let\u2019s take two examples: if you\u2019re dosing dilute chlorine for a small swimming pool, a PVC pump will work perfectly, it\u2019s cheap, and it\u2019ll last years. But if you\u2019re dosing hot, concentrated sulfuric acid for a metal plating shop, PVC will dissolve, and you need 316 stainless. If you\u2019re dosing a super pure chemical for a vaccine, you can\u2019t have any leaching, so PVDF or glass is non-negotiable. That\u2019s why as a supplier, we don\u2019t just sell parts\u2014we ask questions: what\u2019s the chemical? What\u2019s the temperature? What\u2019s the pressure? Do you need it for food, pharma, or industrial? Only then do we recommend the right materials, because we\u2019ve seen what happens when you guess.<\/p>\n

Wait, I should also mention some newer materials we\u2019ve been testing lately, just to keep things fresh. Like, there\u2019s a high-performance polymer called PEEK (polyether ether ketone) that\u2019s gaining traction for some applications. It\u2019s super strong, heat-resistant, and works with a lot of chemicals, cheaper than PVDF but more expensive than PVC. We\u2019ve been using it for a few clients doing high-temperature water treatment, and so far, it\u2019s holding up way better than expected. Another one is ceramic\u2014for really high-wear applications, like dosing abrasive slurries (like mining materials or paint pigments). Ceramic is way harder than metal or plastic, so it doesn\u2019t scratch or wear down even when you\u2019re pumping gritty stuff. We\u2019ve had a mining client test a ceramic diaphragm pump for dosing iron ore slurry, and it\u2019s lasted three times longer than their old stainless steel pump. Cool stuff, right?<\/p>\n

But here\u2019s the thing I want you to take away: when it comes to metering pump materials, it\u2019s all about matching the material to your specific application, not just picking the cheapest or shiniest option. We\u2019ve made our fair share of mistakes over the years\u2014like selling a PVC pump to a client who was dosing 10% hydrochloric acid, and it failed in three days. We learned our lesson: now we do a full material check with every client before we even quote a pump. No exceptions.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not sure what material you need, or you\u2019re tired of dealing with pumps that fail, hit us up to chat. We can walk you through your specific application, answer any questions you have about materials, and help you pick a metering pump that\u2019ll last, no leaks, no headaches. Don\u2019t waste money on cheap parts that\u2019ll cost you more in the long run\u2014let\u2019s get it right the first time.<\/p>\n

Progressive Cavity Pump<\/a> REFERENCES<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Metering Pump Material Compatibility Guide, National Association of Water Companies<\/li>\n
  2. Chemical Resistance of Thermoplastics, Society of Plastics Engineers<\/li>\n
  3. 316 Stainless Steel Corrosion Resistance for Industrial Pumps, American Society of Mechanical Engineers<\/li>\n
  4. High-Performance Polymers for Fluid Handling, International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineers<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \n

    DEPAMU (Hangzhou) Pumps Technology Co., Ltd.<\/a>
    DEPAMU (Hangzhou) Pumps Technology Co., Ltd. is one of the leading metering pump manufacturers and suppliers in China, with professional factory we are able to produce Chinese best metering pump at both low price and good quality. If you are looking for Germany technology or famous brand metering pump, please feel free to contact us.
    Address: No. 658, 20th Street, Hangzhou Economic & Technological Development Zone, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China
    E-mail: international@depamu.com
    WebSite:     https:\/\/www.depamupumps.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Hey there, if you\u2019ve ever stopped to wonder what\u2019s inside a metering pump (you know, those … What materials are metering pumps made of?<\/span>Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":3601,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3564],"class_list":["post-3601","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry","tag-metering-pump-4ff1-9c217a"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.marquetearte.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3601","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.marquetearte.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.marquetearte.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.marquetearte.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.marquetearte.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3601"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.marquetearte.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3601\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.marquetearte.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3601"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.marquetearte.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3601"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.marquetearte.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3601"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.marquetearte.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3601"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}