Transmark Heaton Valves is taking steps to make its valves comply with ever more rigorous environmental requirements. Fugitive emission limits are now the focus of European and International legislation. All process plants now have to comply with lower and lower pollution levels and by 2007 massive reductions will have to be made. Surveys have proven that up to 60% of all process plant emissions are from valves and the majority of those emissions are from leaking glands. Some of the UK’s chemical and refinery businesses have taken the opportunity to act positively. By specifying emission testing and maximum p.p.m. leakage from their valves, they are ahead of the game. Transmark Heaton Valves, helped with the co-operation from their manufacturers Velan and OMB, offer ½” to 36” gate and globe valves in a range of materials and pressure classes fitted with Garlock EVSP 9000 gland packing. The valves, produced in Italy, Portugal and Montreal, are tested to standard hydrostatic methods, but then additionally type-tested to ISA-dS93.0.01. This test summarised requires 1000 mechanical cycles, 5 thermal cycles (ambient to 200 degrees C), whilst being pressurised with methane and demonstrating leakage of less than 100 ppm. Each valve is then production-tested with helium, with the maximum permissible leakage of 50 ppm, and identified as having the special Garlock EVSP 9000 packing.
