Top 5 Metering Pump Applications

A Practical Guide for Industrial and Water Treatment Professionals

How Pulsafeeder PulsaPro, Eclipse, and ISOChem metering pumps are solving precision chemical dosing challenges across oil & gas, municipal water treatment, CBD extraction, manufacturing, and industrial water treatment — available through Water Treatment Supply.

Applications Covered in This Guide

Selecting the right pump for a chemical dosing application is one of the most consequential decisions a plant engineer or water treatment professional will make. The wrong choice leads to unplanned downtime, chemical waste, safety incidents, and avoidable maintenance costs. This guide draws on Pulsafeeder’s field experience across five of the most demanding industrial metering pump applications, and documents the pump requirements, selection criteria, and operational outcomes that define each one.

All equipment referenced in this guide is available through Water Treatment Supply, your trusted source for precision chemical metering pump solutions.

Application 1

Diaphragm Metering Pumps for Oil & Gas | Pulsafeeder PulsaPro

How API-675 compliant hydraulic diaphragm metering pumps prevent hydrate formation and protect pipeline integrity in offshore and onshore oil & gas production.

FieldDetail
IndustryOil & Gas — Offshore and Onshore Production
LocationsBakken & Permian (USA), Gulf of Mexico, Saudi Arabia, India
ApplicationFlow Assurance Chemical Injection; Pipeline Transport Dosing; Shale Water Treatment
EquipmentPulsafeeder PulsaPro Hydraulic Diaphragm Metering Pump
Key StandardAPI-675 Compliance — No Exceptions or Waivers
Key CustomersMajor Oil Producers across five global regions

More than 50 countries produce oil and gas offshore, and metering pumps for oil and gas industry applications play a critical role in protecting production assets, preventing equipment damage, and maximizing recovery rates. In deep offshore environments, one of the greatest threats to production continuity is the formation of hydrates — crystalline structures that form when light hydrocarbons and water mix under high pressures and low temperatures, restricting flow and damaging equipment.

The Challenge

1. Hydrate Formation in Offshore Environments
Remediation of hydrate blockages is expensive and dangerous. A proactive chemical injection strategy is essential, requiring pumps capable of delivering flow-assurance chemicals reliably and accurately to wellheads on the seabed, via umbilical cords, against extreme back pressures up to 250 Bar (3,626 PSI).

2. Pipeline Integrity During Transport
Once hydrocarbons are brought to the surface, asphaltene and paraffinic materials in the oil reduce flow ability and threaten pipeline integrity during transport. Specific inhibitors must be metered in precise doses at the point of separation, and accuracy is critical because these chemicals are expensive, and overdosing upstream creates remediation requirements downstream.

3. High-Volume Water Treatment in Shale Operations
Onshore shale production in the Bakken region and Middle East requires treatment of extensive water volumes used in hydraulic fracturing operations. Metering pumps handle flow assurance chemicals, scale inhibitors, and water treatment dosing at lower pressures than offshore, but at significantly higher volumes.

The Solution: PulsaPro Hydraulic Diaphragm Metering Pump

The Pulsafeeder PulsaPro diaphragm metering pump for chemicals is the industry-preferred solution for oil and gas applications. Its hydraulically actuated diaphragm design separates the piston from the process fluid, ensuring that corrosive and hazardous flow assurance chemicals — including methanol, monoethylene glycol, and corrosion inhibitors — are dosed accurately without contacting mechanical components.

The PulsaPro meets API-675 standards with no exceptions or waivers, a distinction unrivaled in the industry. With plus/minus one-percent accuracy and 100-to-1 turndown capability, it delivers the precision required for expensive chemical injection at the wellhead and during pipeline transport.

Pump Requirements & Performance

FieldDetail
IndustryOil & Gas — Offshore and Onshore Production
LocationsBakken & Permian (USA), Gulf of Mexico, Saudi Arabia, India
ApplicationFlow Assurance Chemical Injection; Pipeline Transport Dosing; Shale Water Treatment
EquipmentPulsafeeder PulsaPro Hydraulic Diaphragm Metering Pump
Key StandardAPI-675 Compliance — No Exceptions or Waivers
Key CustomersMajor Oil Producers across five global regions
Application 2

Rotary Gear Pumps for Municipal Water Treatment | Pulsafeeder Eclipse

How NSF-61 certified Eclipse rotary gear pumps handle disinfection, pH adjustment, coagulation, and post-chlorination across more than 100 municipal water treatment plants in the U.S.

FieldDetail
IndustryMunicipal Water Treatment
ScaleMore than 100 U.S. Municipal Water Treatment Plants
ApplicationsDisinfection; pH Adjustment; Coagulation & Flocculation; Fluoridation; Post-Chlorination
EquipmentPulsafeeder Eclipse Rotary Gear Pump
Key CertificationNSF-61
Flow Range1.7 l/m up to 125 l/m

Only about one percent of the Earth’s water supply is suitable for drinking. Municipal water treatment plants bear the responsibility of transforming raw water into safe, compliant drinking water, while managing operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, and chemical costs simultaneously. Across every stage of the treatment process, precise chemical dosing is essential.

The Challenge

1. Multiple Chemical Dosing Requirements in a Single Facility
Municipal plants must manage disinfection, pH correction, coagulation, taste and odor control, fluoridation, and post-chlorination — each requiring a different chemical, a different dosing rate, and a pump capable of handling corrosive or off-gassing substances without binding, clogging, or leaking.

2. Off-Gassing Chemicals
Sodium hypochlorite, potassium permanganate, and bromine, the primary disinfection chemicals, are prone to off-gassing at ambient temperatures. Standard pump designs bind and clog when handling these chemicals, creating maintenance demands and dosing inconsistencies that affect treatment quality.

3. pH Adjustment Precision
Drinking water pH must be maintained at a neutral 7. Overcorrection with hydrochloric acid requires additional downstream soda ash dosing to rebalance, wasting expensive chemicals and adding process complexity. Sealless magnetically driven pumps are required to prevent leakage of corrosive pH adjustment chemicals.

The Solution: Eclipse Rotary Gear Pump

The Pulsafeeder Eclipse is the leading chemical dosing pump systems solution for municipal water treatment. Its sealless, magnetically driven rotary gear design handles off-gassing disinfection chemicals without binding or clogging, while delivering the laminar, pulseless flow needed for accurate pH adjustment and coagulant dosing. NSF-61 certified and constructed in PVDF or 316-SS, the Eclipse handles the full range of municipal treatment chemicals without corrosion risk.

The Eclipse’s patented front pull-out design allows maintenance to be completed in place with a single tool — eliminating downtime associated with pump removal and minimizing the labor costs of routine service across a facility running continuous operations.

Results & Impact

U.S. Municipal Plants Served
0 +
NSF Certified for Drinking Water
NSF- 0
Tool Maintenance — In-Place Service
0
Maximum Flow Rate Capacity
0 l/m
Application 3

Gear Pumps for CBD Oil Extraction | Pulsafeeder ISOChem

How ISOChem sealless magnetically driven gear pumps deliver the flow, pressure, and temperature performance required for ethanol-based CBD extraction processes.

FieldDetail
IndustryCommercial Hemp / CBD Oil Extraction
CustomersSmall and Medium-Sized Extractors
ApplicationSolvent Metering — Ethanol Extraction; Multi-Stage Process Transfer
EquipmentPulsafeeder ISOChem Sealless Mag Drive Gear Pump
Key AttributeSanitary Connections; Sealless Design; Compact Footprint
Preferred SolventEthanol (balances flammability risk, scalability, and cost)

Following the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, the U.S. CBD market expanded rapidly, with industry analysts projecting growth to $22 billion. CBD oil extraction requires pressing chemical solvents through hemp plants at specific volumes, pressures, and temperatures. Each stage of the process — from plant preparation through extraction, winterization, filtration, solvent recovery, and purification — requires precise pump control.

The Challenge

1. Hazardous Solvents Across Wide Temperature Ranges
Ethanol extraction operates at temperatures ranging from -40°F to 250°F and at pressures up to 150 psig. The solvent is flammable and expensive, requiring a sealless pump design that eliminates leak risk and ensures no downtime from seal failure. Standard pumps with mechanical seals introduce both safety risks and maintenance demands that are incompatible with commercial extraction operations.

2. Sanitary Requirements and Compact Footprint
CBD extraction equipment must meet sanitary connection standards comparable to food and beverage applications. Extraction skids have limited space, requiring a compact pump that fits on any skid configuration without infrastructure modifications.

The Solution: ISOChem Sealless Magnetically Driven Gear Pump

ISOChem pumps are compact, sealless, magnetically driven gear pumps with a 30-year track record in hazardous chemical handling. Their sealless design eliminates leaks and reduces maintenance to near zero. Sanitary connection options meet extraction process requirements, and the pump’s flow range — from 0.75 GPM to 55 GPM — and temperature tolerance (-40°F to 250°F) cover every stage of the ethanol extraction process.

ISOChem can be provisioned within hours and delivered in days, a critical advantage in a fast-moving, time-sensitive production environment where equipment lead times impact yield and revenue.

Pump Requirements vs. ISOChem Performance

RequirementProcess NeedISOChem Result
PressureUp to 150 psigFully rated
Flow0.75–55 GPM required0.75–55 GPM delivered
Temperature-40°F to 250°FFull range covered
SealsSealless — no leak riskMag drive — zero seals
MaintenanceMinimal in production30-year track record
AvailabilityDays — not weeksProvisioned within hours
Application 4

Chemical Metering for Manufacturing | Pulsafeeder PulsaPro

How precision hydraulic diaphragm metering pumps deliver chemical catalysts at exact volumes, temperatures, and pressures to keep manufacturing processes running to specification.

FieldDetail
IndustryChemical Manufacturing — Plastics, Aluminum, Textiles, Paper, Fertilizers
CustomersThe World’s Largest Chemical Manufacturers
ApplicationChemical Catalyst Injection; Process Chemical Metering
EquipmentPulsafeeder PulsaPro Hydraulic Diaphragm Metering Pump
Key AttributePrecision & Accuracy — ±0.5% with 1,000-1 Turndown
Common ChemicalsChlorine, Caustic Soda, Hydrochloric Acid, Ethylene Glycols, Methanol

Chemicals represent a top-three operating expense for any manufacturing plant — yet they cannot add value to the process without industrial chemical injection pumps to deliver them precisely. From plastics and aluminum to textiles, pharmaceuticals, and fertilizers, every manufactured product relies on chemical catalysts injected at exact volumes, temperatures, and pressures. Chlorine is the most commonly metered chemical in the world. Caustic soda is the second. Together, they are used in more than 27,000 commercial compounds.

The Challenge

1. Precision Dosing Across Diverse Chemical Profiles
Manufacturing processes follow proprietary formulas with zero tolerance for deviation. Adding too much or too little of a catalyst changes — or ruins — the end product, generating waste, rework costs, and potential safety incidents. Pump selection must match the chemical’s corrosivity, viscosity, temperature range, and required flow rate without compromise.

2. Continuous Operation and Uptime Requirements
Manufacturing plants operate continuously. Pump downtime translates directly to production loss. Chemical metering systems must be engineered for sustained, predictable operation with simplified maintenance protocols that minimize downtime and protect plant uptime.

The Solution: PulsaPro Hydraulic Diaphragm Metering Pump

Precision chemical metering pump performance is the defining characteristic of the PulsaPro for manufacturing applications. Its hydraulically actuated diaphragm design delivers accuracy to within ±0.5% with a 1,000-to-1 turndown ratio, ensuring that proprietary formulas receive exactly what they require, without over- or under-injection. The diaphragm acts as a barrier between the piston and the process chemical, providing full corrosion resistance across the broadest range of manufacturing chemicals.

Common Manufacturing Chemicals & Applications

Chlorine

For bleach, plastics, pharmaceuticals, and more than 15,000 commercial compounds. The #1 most commonly metered chemical in the world.

Caustic Soda

For aluminum, automobiles, textiles, soap, and more than 12,000 compounds. The 2nd most commonly metered chemical globally.

Hydrochloric Acid

For metal refining and hundreds of industrial applications requiring precise acid injection.

Ethylene Glycols

For plastics, latex paints, and adhesives requiring controlled viscous liquid dosing.

Methanol

For petroleum refining and solvent production at precise injection rates.

Fertilizer Chemicals

Nitrate, Ammonium, Urea, Phosphate, Potassium — accurate multi-chemical metering for fertilizer manufacturing.

Application 5

Metering Pumps for Industrial Water Treatment | Eclipse & PulsaPro

How Pulsafeeder Eclipse rotary gear pumps and PulsaPro diaphragm metering pumps maintain water quality and operational efficiency in nuclear plants, refineries, and boiler feed water systems.

FieldDetail
IndustryIndustrial Water Treatment — Power Generation, Refining, Boiler Systems
CustomersDozens of Refineries and Power Plants
ApplicationsCooling Tower Treatment; Boiler Feed Water Treatment; Nuclear Plant Water Treatment
EquipmentPulsafeeder Eclipse (Gear) and PulsaPro (Diaphragm) Metering Pumps
Key AttributeReliability — Continuous Operation, Zero Downtime Tolerance
Key ChemicalsSulfuric Acid, Sodium Hypochlorite, Scale Inhibitors, Biocides, Caustics

Industrial facilities — nuclear plants, oil refineries, and manufacturing plants — consume water at a scale that demands continuous, automated chemical treatment. Nuclear plants use up to 500,000 GPM in cooling systems. Large refineries use more than 10,000 GPM in cooling towers. In every case, untreated water leads to scaling, corrosion, microbial growth, and fouling — all of which reduce operating efficiency and risk unplanned downtime in facilities where continuous operation is non-negotiable.

The Challenge

1. Nuclear Plant Cooling Water Treatment
Nuclear plants require pH control (via sulfuric acid) and disinfection (via sodium hypochlorite) at exceedingly high dosing rates and relatively low pressures. The scale of chemical delivery rules out standard metering pump configurations, and the operating environment demands pumps that run continuously without service interruptions.

2. Cooling Tower Water Treatment in Refineries
Every 50,000 barrels of oil refined generates one trillion BTUs of heat per hour, removed by evaporating water in cooling towers. As water evaporates, dissolved solids accumulate, diminishing thermal efficiency and causing corrosion. Scale inhibitors, acids, caustics, and biocides must be dosed precisely and continuously to maintain cycles-of-concentration and protect cooling tower infrastructure.

3. Boiler Feed Water Treatment
Boiler systems exist in virtually every industrial plant. Untreated feed water encourages bacterial growth, oxygen corrosion, and scale fouling — all of which diminish boiler efficiency and risk unplanned downtime. Metering pumps are required for disinfection, pH control, and scale inhibitor dosing in systems where feed water purity directly impacts steam quality and plant efficiency.

The Solution: Eclipse and PulsaPro for Industrial Water Treatment

For nuclear and municipal-scale industrial water treatment, the Eclipse rotary gear pump delivers the high-volume, low-pressure industrial chemical dosing pump systems performance required. For refinery cooling towers and boiler applications where API-675 compliance is required, the PulsaPro diaphragm metering pump provides the precision, corrosion resistance, and long-term reliability that industrial chemical injection pumps must deliver in continuous-operation environments.

Results & Impact

Cooling Water Treated in Nuclear Plants
0 K GPM
Refinery Cooling Tower Flow Rates
0 K+ GPM
PulsaPro Service Life
0 + yrs
Tool — Eclipse In-Place Service
0

Before & After: Industrial Water Treatment Upgrade

ParameterBeforeAfter — Eclipse / PulsaPro
Dosing ReliabilityInconsistent, reactiveContinuous, automated
Maintenance ApproachReactive — unplanned servicePredictive or in-place scheduled
Chemical AccuracyVariable, waste prone±0.5–1% consistent accuracy
Downtime RiskHigh — pump failuresMinimised — front pullout / long life
Cooling Tower EfficiencyDiminished by scaleMaintained via scale inhibitor dosing
Boiler Feed Water QualityBacterial/corrosion riskTreated — disinfection + pH control

Need the Right Metering Pump for Your Application?

Water Treatment Supply stocks and configures the full range of Pulsafeeder metering pump solutions — including the PulsaPro, Eclipse, and ISOChem — for industrial metering pump applications across oil and gas, municipal water treatment, manufacturing, CBD extraction, and industrial water treatment.

Whether you need a diaphragm metering pump for chemicals, a rotary gear pump for high-volume dosing, or a sealless magnetically driven pump for hazardous solvents, our team can match the right equipment to your flow rate, pressure, chemical compatibility, and maintenance requirements.

FAQs

A metering pump is a positive displacement chemical dosing device that delivers precise, repeatable volumes of chemical to a process, accurate to within one-half of one percent. Diaphragm metering pumps use a reciprocating piston and diaphragm to draw and discharge chemical in controlled strokes. Rotary gear pumps distribute a constant volume of fluid per revolution, with flow rate adjusted by variable speed drives.
A diaphragm metering pump for chemicals uses a reciprocating diaphragm to isolate the piston from the process fluid, making it ideal for high-pressure, high-accuracy applications like oil and gas and chemical manufacturing. A rotary gear pump distributes fluid continuously and gently around the gear tips, making it ideal for high-volume, lower-pressure applications like municipal water treatment and industrial cooling systems. Both are forms of precision chemical metering pump technology, selected based on pressure, flow, and chemical requirements.
The Pulsafeeder Eclipse rotary gear pump is the preferred solution for municipal water treatment. It is NSF-61 certified, handles off-gassing disinfection chemicals without clogging, and delivers laminar pulseless flow suited to pH adjustment, coagulation, fluoridation, and post-chlorination applications.
Metering pumps for oil and gas industry applications must comply with API-675 standards. The Pulsafeeder PulsaPro meets API-675 with no exceptions or waivers, a distinction that is unrivaled in the industry and critical for offshore platform and pipeline injection applications.
Yes. Water Treatment Supply can identify and configure chemical dosing pump systems for nuclear plant cooling, refinery cooling tower treatment, boiler feed water applications, and other industrial water treatment requirements. Contact our team with your flow rate, pressure, and chemical specification for a recommended solution.