[1] The company derives its name from a high silicon cast iron alloy, Duriron, which rapidly became an industry standard for handling extremely corrosive materials.
Duriron “denitrating towers” were in high demand during the First World War for safe handling of hot mixtures of nitric and sulfuric acids during the manufacturing of explosives.
The readjustment included the development of a line of more “off the shelf” Duriron pumps and valves for use in the broad chemical process industries.
[2] Subsequent to World War II, Duriron grew consistently in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, through product innovation and technical sales force expansion to serve the fast growing chemical process industries throughout the U.S., Canada and, in the later of those years, in Europe as well.
The larger of these acquisitions included Valtek in Springville, Utah, a provider of flow control valves for heavy duty services, and Durametallic Corporation in Kalamazoo, Michigan, which offers mechanical seals for pumps and other rotating equipment.