Corrosive Media Valve Replacement at a Southeast Asian Fine Chemical Park
Project Overview
The project replaced valves that had failed in batches on sulfuric acid, acetic acid and organic solvent lines at a fine chemical park in Southeast Asia, including fully lined ball valves, lined butterfly valves and stainless steel globe valves.
Challenge
Original valves leaked on average once every 6 months due to medium corrosion and crystallization blockage, and unplanned downtime caused production line losses. The park required replacement valves to be installed within the original dimensions (flange spacing is constrained by existing piping), with a shutdown window of no more than 48 hours.
Our Solution
Replacement valves were surveyed 1:1 to the original flange spacing and pipe size, with identical face-to-face dimensions: sulfuric acid and acetic acid lines use fully lined ball valves and lined butterfly valves, and organic solvent lines use CF8M stainless steel globe valves. Valves were prefabricated in batches for the shutdown window and pressure-tested individually before delivery, so site work was limited to removal and reconnection.
Results
All valves were replaced within the 48-hour window and passed first-time commissioning with no leakage. Two years in service without further corrosion-related leakage; the park uses the retrofit as a reference for corrosive service and continues to purchase the same valve types for later expansions.