A variety of drum pumps are available for transferring the contents of 5-gal pails or 55-gal drums of Vertrel^® solvents to the point of use. DuPont and MicroCare strongly recommend the use of drum pumps as a convenient way to empty a drum.

Drum pumps are small portable pumps inserted through the opened bung in the head of a drum or pail. During pumping, the drum rests on the floor in a vertical position. Drum pumps minimize both solvent losses through evaporation and worker exposure to solvent vapors, and provide a safer, more flexible and economical way of discharging drum contents.

Some customers lift the drums on a forklift, and use gravity to drain the drum into the cleaning machine. This is not recommended. Forklift trucks are not always available in plants using solvents, and the instability of such a system -- with the risk of leaks, spills, broken hoses or falling drums -- makes it an unwise choice.

Some customers use chain hoists to lift the drums. While slightly better than using forklift, this is still not recommended. Chain hoists can be both awkward and hazardous.

Lastly, one of the generally worst ideas for handling solvents is to try to pressurize the drum with compressed air to force the solvent out of the drum. Do not do this!

In short, a simple and inexpensive drum pump is the safest way to move these solvents.

Drum pumps can either be operated manually (either by an up-and-down piston or back-and-forth lever) or by a motor, either electrical or air-driven. Air-operated motors are recommended in place of electrical motors where flammable vapors are expected.

The manually-operated pumps are the least expensive; they can empty the contents of a 55-gal drum in ten minutes or less. Motor driven pumps, on the other hand, require no labor once the installed and turned on. Such pumps will empty a 55-gal drum in three or four minutes.

Not all drum pumps are suitable for use with today's modern solvents. Before purchasing a pump, obtain a list of all materials of construction utilized in the pump that will come in contact with the solvent. Then, compare these materials with the materials compatibility table for the Vertrel^® product being used. Stainless steel and many commonly available plastics are suitable materials of construction for intake and exit tubes and moving parts of the pump. For example, Type 316 stainless steel would be acceptable. Nylon, polyethylene, polypropylene and acetyl resins also are acceptable and have the broadest range of suitable use with the Vertrel^® solvents.

Usually avoid acrylic and PVC plastics, depending upon the Vertrel^® solvent to be pumped.

For elastomeric materials used in pump seals, polysulfide (marketed under the bran name of Thiokol^® FA), EPDM (Nordel^®), chlorosulfonated polyethylene, Buna-S, butyl or natural rubber are recommended. Fluoroelastomers (Viton^®) generally are not suitable.

In selecting a drum pump, consider purchasing a length of hose to convey product from the drum pump to the point of use. This improves safety and further reduces solvent loss. Materials of construction for such a hose should be given the same consideration as the selection of pump materials as reviewed in the previous section.

Avoid hose materials such as Tygon^® which contain large amounts of plasticizer.

Most laboratory and industrial supply catalogs contain a variety of drum pumps covering a wide range of materials and prices. Please refer to the following partial list to find a representative or distributor who can help you with drum pump selection:

Cole Parmer	625 East Bunker Court, Vernon Hills, IL 60061	(800) 323-4340	www.coleparmer.com
Lab Safety Supply	P.O. Box 1368 Janesville, WI 53547	(800) 356-0783	www.labsafety.com
Rieke Corporation	500 West 7th Street Auburn, IN 46706	(219) 925-3700	www.riekepackaging.com
United States Plastic Corporation	1390 Neubrecht Road Lima, OH 45801	(800) 537-9724	www.usplastic.com
Industrial Safety Company	1390 Neubrecht Road Lima, OH 45801	(800) 537-9721	www.indlsafety.com

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