Client Background & Pain Points
A chemical company carried out a revamp of an intermediate plant in the petrochemical area of Bahia, northeast Brazil, replacing chemical plant valves on corrosive-media lines. The client was a local chemical company and the engineering was carried out by a Brazilian local engineering firm. The media contain organic acids, solvents and caustic soda, and some sections carry saturated steam, so chemical corrosion and temperature act together. In addition, Brazil’s import certification and tax procedures are relatively complex, with a clear effect on arrival schedules.
Scope of Supply: Chemical Plant Valves for the Brazil Revamp
Lined and corrosion-resistant ball and butterfly valves (API 6D / API 609, DN80–DN300, PTFE/PFA-lined and rubber-lined); gate valves for process and steam service (API 600, DN50–DN200); diaphragm and globe valves for corrosive media and sampling; and a number of control valves — approximately 280 units in total.
Implementation (Key Milestones & Issue Handling)
After award, compliance was addressed first: the product certification documents and pressure-equipment registration required for import were prepared in advance, and we assembled material certificates and test reports into a complete set to shorten customs clearance. In manufacturing, the lined valves required particular control of lining thickness uniformity, lining-to-metal bonding quality and protection against compression during transport. One difficulty arose when a batch of rubber-lined butterfly valves, after a long sea voyage, showed slight imprints on the lining edges at unpacking, attributed to stacking loads. After review, we confirmed the sealing performance was unaffected, submitted test data and a handling proposal to the client, and adjusted the container bracing for subsequent batches. A further compromise concerned the steam section, where the client had originally selected soft-seated valves; after review showed the operating temperature approaching the material limit, both sides agreed to switch to manual metal-seated gate valves. Goods were delivered in three batches.
Delivery Outcome: Chemical Plant Valves in Brazil
From award to on-site delivery took about five months. After commissioning, the corrosive-media lines operated normally with no anomalies in the lined valves, and the steam-section valves operated smoothly. The client performs quarterly visual and operational checks, with remote support and a spare-parts list from us.
Lessons Learned
The key to chemical revamp projects is running material and compliance in parallel. First, import certification and pressure-equipment registration should be prepared in advance so goods are not held at port. Second, for lined valves, bonding quality and transport protection are equally important, and packaging must be checked against sea-freight stacking conditions. Third, for temperature-marginal duty, proactively review the selection; it is better to change the valve type than to run the material at its limit.
ASME B16.34 valve standard https://www.asme.org/codes-standards/find-codes-standards/b16-34-valves-flanged-threaded-welding-end
API standards catalogue https://www.api.org/products-and-services/standards
