Where to use ceramic lined pipe bends

Ceramic lined pipe bends are the material of choice in systems where abrasion is an immediate problem. The majority of the bender material is concentrated wear caused by changing directions, hitting an outer radius which makes a good place for bends to be the first failure point. The type of ceramic liner you add (usually alumina tiles or cylinder placement within steel pipe makes it an incredibly hard wearing and long lived surface compared to the standard steel which would erode quickly on impact.

These most commonly occur in high-abrasion, relatively stable flow conditions. Typical examples of such systems include slurry transport, pneumatic conveying with abrasive powders etc., ash handling and quarry fines or in process plants where the product is invariably gritty. This means that if you have a bend of this kind with cement linings which requires frequent replacement, introduction of ceramic lining will greatly align service life and reduce the number of shutdowns.

Ceramic lined bends are also the best choice for tight spaces. The wear-resistance is developed from the hardness and not thickness of material, so long life can be accomplished without large external guards or frequent change-outs. For Ceramic Wear Protection, visit kingfisher-industrial.com/wear-protection/ceramics/

Unfortunately, they are not suitable for all applications. Ceramic can be brittle, making them unsuitable for heavy impact from big sharp lumps or tramp metal. If you have a system that often blocks, has hammering or vibration, etc., the tiles can crack with time or in some cases de-bond.

High temperature cycling or aggressive chemical environments would be the other possibility, unless of course it was used with the wrong compound and backer. Plus, if you do require regular changes out due to build up or other issues, ceramic lined sections can take longer and be more costly than rubber or polyurethane choices.

In summary: while ceramic lined pipe bends are excellent for abrasion in bend conditions, they have more limitations when it comes to impact or shock loading and rough handling.