You can save a lot of time if you know the following terms when purchasing slurry pumps. Here are some of most common terms that would come up during your buying process.
 
Head (H): A measure of the energy possessed by water at a given location in the water system
expressed in feet of head for centrifugal slurry pumps; (2) a measure of the pressure or force exerted by water expressed in feet.
 
Capacity (Q): A measure of the liquid volume capacity of a slurry pump.
 
NPSH:
Net Positive Suction Head Available (NPSHa): The NPSHa available to prevent cavitation of the pump. To calculate the NPSHa, you take the [Static Suction Head] plus [Suction Vessel Surface Pressure Head] minus [vapor pressure of your product] minus [friction losses in the suction piping, valves and fittings].
- Net Positive Suction Head Required (NPSHr): The NPSHr to stop a pump from cavitating. The NPSHr is generally supplied to you by the pump manufacturer.
 
Efficiency: A ratio of total power output to the total power input, expressed as a percent.
 
Pressure: The force exerted on the walls of a pipe by a liquid. Normally measured in pounds per square inch (psi).
 
Viscosity: A measure of a liquid's resistance to flow. Essentially it’s a how thick the liquid is. The viscosity determines the type of pump used, the speed it can run at, and with gear pumps, the internal clearances required.
 
Slurry Characteristics Parameters:
Concentration by weight (Cw): The concentration by weight reflects the percent ratio of the mass of dissolved solids to the total mass of the solution.
Concentration by volume (Cv): The concentration by weight reflects the percent ratio of the volume of dissolved solids to the total volume of the solution.
Specific Gravity (SG): The ratio of the weight of a given volume of liquid to pure water. Pumping heavy liquids (specific gravity greater than 1.0) will require more horsepower.
There are other parameters should be take into consideration such as particle size, pH and temperature, etc.
 
Suction head: Condition that occurs when the liquid source is above the centerline of the pump.
 
Suction lift: Condition that occurs when the liquid source is below the centerline of the pump.
 
Pump performance curve: A diagram provided to explain the relationship between the head and the flow rate of a pump using various size impellers. The curve also includes efficiency, NPSH required, and horse power consumption as a function of flow.