February 25th, 2010
Before the advent of improved alloys like super duplex, companies could sometimes be forgiven for the accidents which happened at their plants. Often, these were a result of leaking, corroded or badly maintained pipe fittings. There’s no excuse for the events which happened at the Valero McKee Oil Refinery, Texas, in February 2007. Without warning, a massive fire ripped through the plant, injuring 4 workers and causing complete closure of the refinery for two months.
The report cited a leaky valve and escaped propane as the cause, but the real cause was far more insidious: one of the pipe fittings, an elbow joint which had been out-of-service since the early 1990s.
The fire broke out in the de-asphalting unit – an area that uses high-pressure liquid propane to separate gas oil from asphalt. The elbow-joint was part of a “dead-leg” formed when piping was taken out of service. It remained connected, but was no longer supposed to have any flow. However, unknown to personnel a piece of metal became wedged above the elbow, opening a valve and allowing propane to intermittently flow through from the high-pressure pipe above it.
Over time, water seepage collected in the crook of the elbow. During a period of cold weather the ice froze, fracturing the elbow joint. Later on, high-pressure propane flowed through the leaky valve and into the fractured pipe fitting.
We at Chemipetro always recommend pipe fittings and flanges are removed if not in use any more. Redundant pipe fittings have their uses (as a back-up route during maintenance, for example), but it is more often than not more practical to remove them.
Tags: Flanges, industrial pipe fittings, industrial pipe flanges, Pipe Fittings, Super Duplex
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February 24th, 2010
Even well-manufactured pipe fittings can fail. Unfortunately, the problem is often one of unethical practice; something which, in heavy industry can lead to environmental disaster – or worse. Illegal cost-cutting and an inferior pipe flange is all it takes to spark a massive fire.
It appears there have been problems of a more subtle sort in Alaska, where federal warrants have been served on two oil facilities owned by the Chevron Corporation. Federal environmental regulators have reason to believe the company has been violating the Clean Air Act and knowingly making false statements about it since 2006. In 2006 Union Oil, a subsidiary of Chevron, was processing and storing crude oil from platforms in the Cook Inlet. The oil was then shipped to a Japanese refinery. The violations occurred when Chevron began shutting down vapour control units (VCUs) for its storage tanks.
VCUs are designed to capture and reuse vapours that would otherwise pollute the atmosphere. These are toxic, hazardous air pollutants known to cause serious health problems. Chevron’s statement to regulators in 2007 stated insignificant quantities had escaped, of around 2 tons a year. The true figure is nearer 200.
Why did they shut the units down in the first place? It appears they may have had no choice. We at Chemipetro are used to getting emergency call-outs to replace a faulty flange, but we would be shocked by, “improperly sized compressors; insufficient parts; fugitive vapours escaping; damaged and/or inoperable circuit boards; unsupported repair requests and various other problems.”
We’re pretty sure those problems would have included more than a few faulty pipe flanges.
Tags: Flanges, industrial pipe flanges, Pipe Fittings, Pipe Flanges
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February 23rd, 2010
It is common to supply pipe fittings to a range of industries, with fossil fuels continuing high on the list. Although it is possible to also provide pipe fittings for ‘green energy’ solutions like biofuels, the demand will always be greatest for gas and oil.
In recent years, attention has focussed on reducing the carbon emissions of traditional fossil fuel plants with some impressive results. The two largest players in this field, BASF and LKCA, are also the two largest chemical and gas plant engineering companies in the world – not roles traditionally associated with eco-friendly solutions. Both rely heavily on high-quality pipe flanges for their green technology.
BASF specialises in separating and purifying carbon dioxide from gas emissions. This gas treatment process, known as gas scrubbing, is now being marketed extensively. The technology is already used in over 220 facilities across the globe. LKCA, meanwhile, specialises in building plants that compress and separate CO2 from flue gases.
Recently, the two companies signed a joint agreement to bring these two areas together, building plants to specifically capture and purify CO2 from industrial flue emissions. Under this licence, LKCA will be in charge of engineering, design and plant construction, while BASF will be in charge of the CO2 capture process. The project will focus mainly on the Middle East, where there is growing demand for purified CO2 to increase yields of crude oil.
We at Chemipetro continue to provide a high number of pipe fittings for the oil industry. It is fitting that the resultant CO2 emissions can be reduced and recycled so effectively.
Tags: alloy pipe fittings, Flanges, industrial pipe flanges, Pipe Fittings, Pipe Flanges
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February 18th, 2010
Despite the economic uncertainty and possible concern about lower energy use, companies like Transco are prospering. There is currently a project in the pipeline – excuse the pun – which will provide an additional 142,000 dekatherms of natural gas transportation capacity by November 2012.
This ambitious project, called the Transco Mid-Atlantic Connector pipeline expansion, will serve the growing demands of the region. It will interconnect with East Tennessee Natural Gas and deliver fuel as far North as Maryland, with extra connections at Columbia Gas Transmission, Dominion Transmission and Dominion Cove Point. This will involve a massive number of pipe fittings and flanges, in high quality alloys designed to withstand a range of environmental conditions. There is a high risk of failure in gas pipelines, both underwater and below ground, hence the pipe fittings used must be able to resist corrosion, pressure stresses and so on.
Transco is seemingly committed to finding ‘greener’ energy solutions and say there is a growing need for clean-burning natural gas – despite the numerous calls for alternative energy sources with less of a carbon footprint. It’s not hard to see why their case has admirers. Ecological solutions are still expensive to implement and the safety of other alternatives like nuclear power is disputed. Provided the pipe fittings are checked regularly, natural gas is safe and cheap to produce; it’s also a familiar and trusted product.
We at Chemipetro supply high-quality alloy pipe fittings and flanges to a range of energy industries, including natural gas. The Transco project is just one of a number of pipeline expansions planned across the globe.
Tags: alloy pipe fittings, Flanges, high quality flanges, Pipe Fittings, Pipe Flanges
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February 16th, 2010
As long ago as the 1990s, the dangers of substandard flanges in the petrochemical industry were highlighted, with a series of accidents in the petrochemical sector. Among the causes of explosions and fires were mismatched pipe fittings, inferior alloys and poorly manufactured flanges.
The plants were often situated outside the most prosperous nations in the world, but affluent conglomerates (based in the US, Canada or Europe) were often involved in the resource allocation. What is more, these accidents continue today – and they’re not always happening outside the wealthy nations. In the US, there have been hundreds of accidents in the last decade, often attributable to poorly maintained pipe systems.
Some companies import poorly manufactured, low-quality alloy pipe fittings from developing countries where industrial standards are non-existent, and operate a Health and Safety system which ensures flanges are not replaced when they show signs of imminent failure. Although these plants may be often located offshore, or in developing nations, the current economic climate means there is a danger of these poorly manufactured, potentially dangerous pipe flanges finding their way into the UK. There is concern they will arrive disguised to look like an industry-level product.
The answer is, of course, to only buy ANSI (or similar) BS industry standard flanges in high quality alloy, from trusted suppliers such as us at Chemipetro. After fitting, perform regular safety checks to ensure there are no leaks or corroded areas around the welds or joins. That way, the only way your plant will get in the news will be due to industrial excellence.
Tags: alloy pipe fittings, Flanges, high quality flanges, Pipe Fittings
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February 11th, 2010
In the 1990s, there was a massive fire in the town of Fortaleza, Brazil. The cause was a flange failure in the city’s petrochemical plant. A similar thing happened again in 2004, and leakages of noxious chemicals are a continued risk for the town’s population, not least of all its children.
Despite advances in technology and the development of modern alloys – for example, super duplex – the problems remain the same. This is largely because the mechanisms governing site safety (like budget, flange suppliers and human error) remain the same.
The cause of the original fire was fractures in the fixation screws of a valve flange during operation. Hydrogen and hydrogen sulphide gas escaped and caused an explosion. An inspection afterwards revealed the weld-necked flanges used in the plant were of poor quality and constructed from normal forged material. Some were not even of this grade, but made from rolled or cast iron. Factors affecting the failure included: diverse manufacturing practices, environmental cracking, design issues, crack-like imperfections due to poor forging practices and poorly constructed welds.
The Fortaleza problem hasn’t gone away. The town has been developed into a major tourist resort, but the poor quality flanges remain. The potential for accidents therefore endures. It is easy to say that this is a practice restricted only to poorer countries, but Brazil is an emerging economy and many of the plants are owned by multinational conglomerates. They are located where they are because labour costs and running expenses are low.
We at Chemipetro supply high quality flanges all over the world, at affordable prices.
Tags: flange suppliers, Flanges, industrial pipe flanges, Pipe Flanges, weld neck flanges
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February 10th, 2010
These days, firms require pipe fittings of all sizes. These range from large flanges used in gas pipelines, to custom-made pipe fittings for miniature sampling systems. In recent years, there have been tremendous advances made to downsize plant systems to improve production, reduce the carbon footprint and increase fuel economy.
The biopharmaceutical industry places specific emphasis on precision and high tolerance limits in its apparatus. The fittings and flanges used are an important part of this, with players in the biopharmaceutical industry increasingly looking for ways to speed up production without compromising on quality. However, the key elements of biopharmaceutical systems still contain a bewildering array of pipe fittings, valves, pumps, tubes and other paraphernalia, just as they did when the industry was in its infancy.
These systems must be totally renewable at any point in the process i.e. every component must be able to be removed and replaced easily, to allow for quick, thorough cleaning and draining with minimum disruption to services. In addition, fittings must meet specific quality control standards, in order to pass inspection by a third party.
The laboratory standards demanded by the biopharmaceutical industry are very exacting. Pipe fittings must be manufactured from the very highest grade alloys, guaranteed to be 100% chemically and biologically inert for their entire time of use. They form part of a controlled pathway that includes valves, tubes, chromatography columns and connectors, all of which must be totally non-reactive with volatile solvents.
We at Chemipetro supply a range of high specification fittings and flanges, manufactured to the very highest of industry standards.
Tags: alloy pipe fittings, Flanges, industrial pipe flanges, Pipe Fittings, Pipe Flanges
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February 9th, 2010
People think that industrial pipe flanges mean one thing – oil refineries and gas pipelines. While these form a large part of the trade, it is by no means all we supply. We also cover the more precision-based needs of clients like the analytical industry.
It is hard to imagine an industry more in need of specialist pipe fittings than that of analytical instrumentation. Whilst digital instruments play a key role, it must be remembered that these wouldn’t function without their associated devices – devices which employ pipes, tubes, flanges and hoses as part of their overall design.
The analytical industry often requires specialist products. Yet at the same time it is becoming increasingly modular and streamlined. We at Chemipetro supply custom-made pipe-fittings in a range of specialist alloys – keeping one eye towards the latest developments in analytical technology at the same time. We also realise that not all plant systems are modern, standardised modular affairs. Many smaller plants still rely on older, legacy systems – which we provide for too. The component requirements for sample handling and analysis are complex– a commodity-based approach just won’t do.
With the rapid progress made in the field of analytical technology, modular sampling systems are fast becoming the norm. In today’s competitive environment there is constant pressure to increase speed and efficiency without compromising safety or accuracy. Thus, MPC (modular platform component) systems are now in common use.
Such systems demand pipe fittings made to precise specifications – something we excel at. From water purity monitoring to fuel emission control, we ensure that our fittings and flanges optimise system efficiency while minimising demands on raw materials.
Tags: alloy pipe fittings, industrial pipe flanges, Pipe Fittings, Pipe Flanges
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February 4th, 2010
Although modern polymers and plastics are widely used for certain industrial processes, high strength, corrosion-resistant alloys continue to be the “weapon of choice” for many. Industrial pipe flanges and other fittings are today made in a wide range of specialised alloys, often used in combination with other plastics. This helps keep costs down without compromising performance, efficiency or safety.
Environmental and safety factors play a big role in the design of industrial plant machinery. It follows that flanges and fittings must be manufactured accordingly. Buyers are conscious of the need to purchase only the highest quality, precision engineered products for their needs, which is why they turn to suppliers like us at Chemipetro in preference to manufacturers located abroad. We respond by keeping prices as low as we can and offering services such as immediate emergency call-out. We also devote time and resources to product design and development – to good effect.
While the UK market continues to be flooded with cheap foreign imports, when it comes to high-spec industrial applications it is companies like us who lead the way. The demand for high quality industrial pipe fittings represents an enormous growth area. There is a global need for highly specific, rather than commodity-based products, meaning our industry has seen a 10% leap in growth in recent years.
Industry specific, alloy pipe fittings are used in everything from food production to semiconductors. Resistance to corrosion and mineral build-up; zero heavy metal contamination and high tensile strength are just some of the requirements desired by the industries we work with.
Tags: alloy pipe fittings, Flanges, industrial pipe flanges, Pipe Fittings, Pipe Flanges
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February 2nd, 2010
Industrial fittings and flanges are made to very high specifications – much higher than for domestic applications. Sizes are specific to the industries using them. They may be expressed in imperial or metric configuration, and size may be measured in either internal or external diameter.
Pipe fittings are used in a variety of industries, and are used to connect tubes, pipes and other components. Connections include welded, threaded, flared and pneumatic necks – many of which are industry specific (so a water treatment fitting may not be used with an oil production pipeline, for example.) Configurations vary widely but include in-line, multi-port and offset mounting.
The materials used for industrial pipe fittings are typically both industry and application dependent. This means the same industry may use fittings made from different alloys, depending on the circumstances. In industry budgets are important, but it’s essential that components are safe and up to the task in hand. Thus you may see both super duplex and standard stainless flanges used in the same industrial plant.
Traditionally, fittings have been made from metals and metal alloys. Tracing their progression from the 18th century dawn of the industrial revolution to the present day, we have seen brass, copper, cast iron, wrought iron, stainless steel, carbon steel and sophisticated alloys like duplex steel and Titanium. In recent years high performance polymers and plastics have entered the market. Although useful, these are limited in their range of applications. They can never match the superior quality, resistance and durability of the alloy pipe fittings we at Chemipetro supply.
Tags: alloy pipe fittings, Duplex, Flanges, Pipe Fittings, Super Duplex
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