The Types Of Valves Used In Petrochemical Industries

One of the biggest industrial sectors that cannot thrive without the humble valve is the petrochemical sector. There are thousands of petrochemical facilities dotting the entire globe. This colossal industrial sector relies on valves and their components to ensure the safety of their complex processes.

Generally, a petrochemical facility has thousands of metres of pipelines snaking their way in and out of mega-sized holding tanks and machinery. Intercepting these pipelines are large and small valves that play a crucial role in regulating the flow of various media, mainly oil and gas and numerous petrochemicals from which other chemicals are derived.

Industrial valve manufacturers state that the petrochemical sector uses most types of industrial valves available in the market. Some facilities have their valves customised to suit their operations because the environment in these plants are dangerous as the processes involve extreme temperatures and pressure.

Also Read : Valve Leak Tests: Why They Are Done

Rows of blue and red colored valves manufactured by industrial valve suppliers Indonesia

Types of valves used in petrochemical industries as given by industrial valve manufacturers

Petrochemical industries require a plethora of valves used in piping applications to control and regulate the flow and pressure of media that can be mildly or highly corrosive, flammable, sludgy and oily. The most common types of valves used in petrochemical industries include:

Trunnion ball valve
Rubber seated ball valve
Butterfly valve
Plug valve
Air-release valve
Vacuum valve
Swing check valve
Tilted cushion valve
Swing check oil cushion valve
Swing flex valve
Gate valves
Automatic Shutoff valves
Check valves
Globe valves

Valves used throughout this industry are classified according to their disc type, body material, actuation, and design.

Valves and their role in petrochemical industries

Petrochemical industries are not limited to the production of only oil and gas. They are responsible for producing and storing a wide range of petrochemicals such as acetylene, benzene, ethane, methane, propane, and hydrogen from other products like elastomers, plasticisers, solvents, oils, etc. are derived.

Inside a petrochemical environment, there will be a few hundreds, if not thousands of valves that take on the following functions:

Controlling the flow of media such as oil, gas, steam, water, and hydrocarbons.
Modulating the flow of media through pipelines.
Controlling the direction of the flow through pipelines.
Regulating the pressure in a particular process.
Protecting the pipelines from mounting pressure.
Filtering particles or debris in the medium and protecting the equipment.
Without valves, the environment in a petrochemical plant could become hazardous and vulnerable to catastrophic events.

How various types of valves function in petrochemical industries

Automatic gate valves

They are vital components that ensure the overall safety of the plant by preventing leakage and onsite explosions. They also prevent hazardous gases from escaping into the environment and causing explosions or fires.

Globe Valves

They regulate the pressure and temperature of toxic fluids and gases and play a huge role in water cooling systems that do not require stringent leakage precautions.

Gate valves

They are used to regulate thick fluids like oils, slurries, petroleum and crude oil. Slide gate valves are commonly used in petrochemical plants as they can handle only a certain amount of pressure.

Butterfly and ball valves

Butterfly and ball valves are mainly used to open and shut the flow of fluids.

Check Valves

Without check valves, there would be no way of knowing or preventing any unwanted backflows that can damage the apparatus.

Choose your valves from Oilway: Indonesia's largest industrial valve manufacturer

If you are looking for high-grade valves, Oilway is your best choice. We manufacture and supply a wide range of valves suitable for many industries and applications. Click here +86-21-69891289 to take a look at our range of industrial valves. Contact us to place your orders and have them delivered right on time.