Company Profile

Magmeter Flow Meter Arrays: Heavy-Duty Chemical-Resistant Liners for Corrosive Acids

Quick Answer

Magmeter flow meter arrays with heavy-duty chemical-resistant liners are the preferred choice for acid dosing, transfer, and batching in chemical plants and water treatment sites. Silver Automation Instruments supplies DN15 to DN300 electromagnetic flow meters with PFA, PTFE, and EPDM liners rated for acids such as 98 percent sulfuric acid and 37 percent hydrochloric acid. Send us your pressure, temperature, pipe size, and flow range to get a same-day quote with liner and electrode options.

Why Acid Service Demands a Different Magmeter Liner

Standard rubber liners fail fast when exposed to strong acids. The acid attacks the liner surface and causes swelling, cracks, or peeling within months. A heavy-duty chemical-resistant liner solves this problem. PFA and PTFE liners are the most common choices for corrosive acid lines because they handle pH values near 0 and temperatures up to 120 degrees Celsius. EPDM works for weak acids and is cheaper, but we do not recommend it for concentrated hydrochloric acid or sulfuric acid.

A magmeter flow meter array is more than a single meter. It is a group of meters on parallel lines or a multi-point injection skid. In acid dosing systems, operators often install three to six magmeters on one treatment train. The liners must stay stable across all operating shifts. In practice, a PFA liner with a Hastelloy C electrode pair lasts three to five years in 30 percent sulfuric acid service at 40 degrees Celsius. That beats a standard EPDM liner by a wide margin.

Liner and Electrode Combinations We Use

We stock three liner types for acid applications. PFA is the best all-round choice for strong acids and high temperatures. PTFE performs well but can be more difficult to bond to the flow tube. EPDM suits weak acid or effluent lines where chemical attack is less aggressive. For electrodes, 316L stainless steel works for many dilute acids, but we specify Hastelloy C or tantalum when the acid concentration rises or chloride levels are high. Grounding rings should be made from the same material as the electrodes to prevent galvanic corrosion.

Here is the thing. The liner alone is not enough. You must match the electrode material to the acid type. For 98 percent sulfuric acid on carbon steel pipe, use a PFA liner with tantalum electrodes. For 37 percent hydrochloric acid, use a PFA liner with Hastelloy C electrodes and PTFE ground rings. We have seen a customer site in Vietnam replace six flow meters in two years because the liner was right but the electrode material was wrong.

Typical Acid Applications and Sizing

A magmeter array for corrosive acids fits several tasks. Acid dosing in water treatment, pH control in food processing, chemical transfer in batch reactors, and pickling line flow measurement in steel plants. Common line sizes range from DN15 on dosing skids to DN200 on bulk acid transfer. Flow rates vary from 0.5 to 100 cubic metres per hour. The meter should be sized so the acid velocity stays between 1 and 3 metres per second. This avoids liner erosion and keeps accuracy within 0.5 percent of reading.

We have supplied magmeter flow meter arrays to a paint manufacturer in Southeast Asia for metering 20 percent phosphoric acid. The skid had four DN25 meters with PFA liners and Hastelloy C electrodes. Each meter had 4-20 mA HART output wired to a PLC. The operators batch by volume. Since installation in 2022, the meters have held zero drift below 0.1 percent per year. That is the kind of detail we need when selecting your liner.

What You Need to Send for a Quote

Do not send a simple request for a price on a magmeter. Acid service is too specific. We need five parameters. Tell us the acid name and concentration. Tell us the liquid temperature in degrees Celsius. Tell us t