Technical & Commercial Tips For Sales & Marketing

Ref no.: 2L/TIPS/01 Rev00

3 0.90 6
4 1.70 11
6 4.00 27
8 6.75 45
10 9.00 63
12 11.5 81

Bubbles per minute is a suggested alternative to ml per minute; in which a 0.25 inch OD x 0.032
inch wall tube is submerged in water to a depth of 1/8" to ¼". The tube is to be cut square and
smooth with no imperfections and should be perpendicular to the surface of the water.

API-598 - from the American Petroleum Institute also covers testing/inspection requirements for
gate, globe, check, ball, plug and butterfly valves. API 598 indicates that for shell and backseat
tests no visible leakage is permitted through body, body liner, and joints; i.e. no visible evidence
of drops or wetting of the external surfaces.
API 598 does have an allowable leakage rate for test fluids past the seats. API 598's allowable
leakage rates are as follows: (You can refer the latest edition of API 598 which directly gives the
leakage rate in cc/min)

All Metal-Seated
Valve All Resilient Metal-Seated
Valves (except Check
Size Seated Valves Check Valves
Valves)
Liquid Test Gas Test Liquid Test Gas Test
(drops/min) (bubbles/min) (drops/min) (bubbles/min)
0 0 (b) 0 (b) (c) (d)
2.5" -
0 12 24 (c) (d)
6""
8" -
0 20 40 (c) (d)
12""
>=
0 28 56 (c) (d)
14""

(a) 1 millilitre is considered equivalent to 16 drops (b) There shall be no leakage for the
minimum specified test duration. For liquid test, 0 drop means no visible leakage per minimum
specified test duration. For gas test, 0 bubbles means less than 1 bubble per minimum specified
test duration. (c) The maximum permissible leakage rate shall be 0.18 cubic inch (3 cubic
centimetres) per minute per inch of nominal pipe size. (d) The maximum permissible leakage
rates shall be 1.5 standard cubic feet (0.042 cubic meters) of gas per hour per inch of nominal
pipe size. (e) For check valves larger than NPS 24, the allowable leakage rate shall be per
agreement between purchaser and manufacturer.
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MSS-SP-61-1999 - The Manufacturer's Standardization Society also has a section on valve

leakage in Section 5 of their "Pressure Testing of Steel Valves - MSS-SP-61-1999", The
following leakage rates are deemed acceptable by this testing standard:
- GATE, GLOBE, BALL VALVES: 10 cc/hr per inch of nominal pipe diameter. (e.g. A 6" globe
valve is allowed to leak 60 cc/hr in a test)
- CHECK VALVES: 40 cc/hr per inch of nominal pipe diameter All shutoff or isolation valves
specified to MSS-SP-61 must pass the above standards. The seat closure test must be performed
at a fluid (liquid or gas) pressure no less than 1.1 times the 1000°F (380°C) rating rounded to the
next 5 psi (0.5 bar).

Valves should be handled, stored and installed with a sense of care. Although they may be
capable of severe service and high corrosion proper valve care can help to ensure valves work
and last in service.

VALVE CARE - Prior to Installation

· Keep valves in crates/boxes or in a warehouse prior to installation · Do not remove end

plugs/flange protectors until installation · Remove disc protector from swing check valves ·
Close valve before installation · Inspect the inside of the valve and remove any foreign
materials · Inspect stem to ensure it is free of dirt, sand or grit · Tighten/check packing nuts prior
to installation · Check piping and remove all foreign material

LOCATION - Where the valve is installed

· Valves should be installed in line where they are easy/safe to reach · Valves should be installed
in a location that allows the valve to operate properly. · Piping near the valve should be
supported adequately to accommodate the additional weight of the valve to the line · Valves with
a rising stem should be installed to allow sufficient clearance for operation

INSTALLING - Putting the valve in line

· Threaded valves should be installed using the appropriate sized wrenches with flat jaws. Pipe
threads have a standard tolerance. · Flanged valves should be torque up opposite to each other -
bolt number 1 should be torque again prior to the last bolt. (i.e. imagine a clock with 12 being up,
6 down, 9 left and 3 right - valves should be tightened in this sequence " 12, 6, 9, 3, 11, 5, 7, 12,
1". · Socket weld valves should be kept CLOSED during welding and post-weld heat treatments
(PWHT). PWHT should be done in accordance with accepted standards · Butt weld valves
should be installed with extreme care to ensure seats are not distorted during welding

OPERATING THE VALVE

· Prior to putting a valve into service the piping system must be purged and drained · The valve
disc/ball/seats can be damaged due to foreign materials trapped in the valve; a drain-trap/other
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arrangement is advices to collect foreign materials before they can enter/damage a valve

MAINTENANCE - Taking care of the valve

· Valves should have the following inspected on a regular schedule o Stem threads o Packing
gland bolting o Flange bolting and gasket o Body-bonnet joint o Grease injectors (if applicable)

LEAKAGE TIPS

· If a valve leaks at the stuffing box; tighten the gland bolting until the leak stops up to a quarter
turn. If the leak continues get the valve repaired · If leakage occurs at the body/bonnet joint
torque the bolting equally.

REPAIRS

· Repairs must be made by a trained professional · Repair operations must be performed with the
valve removed from service · Repair space shall be well lit, clean and dry · Repaired valves must
be hydro-tested in accordance with API 598

This article is intended to be used as a guide for valve care, when handling valves it is always
important to ensure trained professionals are available and consulted to ensure safety and valve
care.

Material Information

Valves are constructed of a variety of media - this section will cover the typical valve steel
grades, elastomers and trims used in industry.

Steel Grades

Each steel grade has certain chemical or mechanical requirements - these grades result in
different potential applications. In valve applications, stainless steel is typically considered a
premium (though other high end special alloys exist), followed by low temp then reg temp.
Given the characteristics of each steel grade stainless steel valves can be used as a substitute for
low temp and reg temp valves - low temp valves can also be used as a substitute for reg temp
valves in most applications. Click on a grade/section for more information.

ASTM - American Society for Testing and Materials www.astm.org

As a quick guide here are the typical steel designations for the valve industry:

Cast Grades
ASTM A216 - WCB/WCC - cast steel good for regular temp applications -20*F to 800*F
ASTM A352 - LCB/LCC - low temp cast steel good for low temp applications -50*F to 800*F
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ASTM A351 - CF8M - cast stainless steel good for absolute zero to 1500* F

Forged Grades
ASTM A182 - 316SS - forged stainless steel good for absolute zero to 1500* F
A105 - forged steel good for regular temp applications -20*F to 800*F
ASTM A350 - LF2 - low temp forged steel good for low temp applications -50*f to 800*F
ASTM A276-410 - common steel grade used in gate, globe and check valves.

Valve_Material_Temp
erature.pdf
For Pressure temp. chart click the icon

Heat Treatment - Heat treatments are used to change the properties of steel;

Elastomers

Elastomers are the seats and seals of the valve industry. Having the right elastomer can make the
difference of a valve failing or lasting years in service. Elastomers typically have a lower
melting/critical temperature than steel and knowing about them can go a long way to choosing
the right valve. Keep in mind that like steel, elastomers come in a variety of grades and
variations with different mechanical/chemical properties. chemical resistance chart detailing
what media is good for what elastomers.

Trim Chart

Gate, globe and check valves are often referred to as having a specific trim; the trim is a number
that determines what material is used on the gate, disc, or sealing portion of a valve. Click here
to view the API trim chart.

Trim Information

API Trim Chart

API Trim
Material Seat Disc Backseat Stem Notes
Number
1 410 410 410 410 410
2 304 304 304 304 304
3 F310 310 310 310 310
Hard Seats 750 BHN
4 Hard 410 410 410 410
410 min.
5 Hard faced Stellite Stellite 410 410
5A Hard faced Ni-Cr Ni-Cr 410 410
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6 410 and Cu-Ni Cu-Ni Cu-Ni 410 410

Hard Hard Seats 750 BHN
7 410 and Hard 410 410 410
410 410 min.
8 410 and Hard faced Stellite 410 410 410
8A 410 and Hard faced Ni-Cr 410 410 410
9 Monel Monel Monel Monel Monel
10 316 316 316 316 316
11 Moneland Stellite Monel Monel Monel
12 316 and Hard faced Stellite 316 316 316
Alloy
13 Alloy 20 Alloy 20 Alloy 20 Alloy 20
20
Alloy 20 and Hard Alloy
14 Stellite Alloy 20 Alloy 20
faced 20
15 304 and Hard faced Stellite Stellite 304 304
16 316 and Hard faced Stellite Stellite 316 316
17 347 and Hard faced Stellite Stellite 347 347
Alloy 20 and Hard Alloy
18 Stellite Stellite Alloy 20
faced 20

API 600 Trim Number Chart

Note: This chart is provided for information only- consult current API publications to verify trim
data.

APPLICABLE DESIGN STANDARDS

API American Petroleum Institute

6D Specification for Pipeline Valves

598 Valve Inspection and Test

607 F ire Test for Soft Seated Quarter Turn Valves

ASME American Society of Mechanical Engineers

B16.5 Steel Pipe Flanges and Flanged Fittings

B16.10 F ace to Face and End to End Dimensions of Ferrous Valves

B16.34 Steel Valves – Flanged and Butt Welding Ends

B31.4 Liquid Petroleum Transportation Piping Systems

B31.8 Gas Transmission and Distribution Piping Systems

 Technical & Commercial Tips For Sales & Marketing
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ISO International Organization for Standardization

ISO 9001-2000 Quality Systems for Design/Development, Production, Installation,

Servicing

ISO 5211 Topworks for Mounting Dimensions

BS British Standard
BS 5351 Steel Ball Valves for the Petroleum, Petrochemical, and Allied Industries

MSS Manufacturers Standardization Society

SP 25 Standard Marking System for Valves, Fittings, flanges, and Unions

SP 45 Bypass and Drain connection Standard

NACE National Association of Corrosion Engineers

MR0175 Sulfide Stress Cracking Resistant Metallic