
Valves for ethylene and propylene processing
Improving reliability and productivity of your process
Over the past decade, demand for ethylene has steadily risen and so has the need for valve solutions that offer maximum reliability, safety and performance. Propane dehydrogenation uses propane to produce high-quality propylene. Steam cracking plants, which produce ethylene, are divided into three sections which together represent a very demanding environment. We’ve developed our valve solutions to ensure the utmost safety and reliability in your operations.
Valves for all processes
Hot zone valves
In the hot zone, the cracking and subsequent cooling occurs. We offer solutions for each step in this process including on-off and control valves for fuel gas, steam, quench oil, and other process media.
Compression zone valves
The compression zone is where compression, scrubbing and drying of the effluent occurs. Here, we provide valve solutions for secure compressor anti-surge, amine let down, and dryer switching operations.
Cold zone valves
The separation of components from the medium occurs in the cold zone. Here, we provide column control
valves, refrigeration system high pressure drop valves, butadiene valves and many more.
Catalyst regeneration valves
In the continuous catalyst regenerator, the catalyst is repeatedly withdrawn from the reactor, regenerated, and returned to the reactor bed. Efficient operation requires top quality lock hopper block, catalyst addition and removal, and chloride injection and addition valves. Our valves are extensively used in such critical applications.
Dryer sequence valves
Dryers remove hydrogen sulphide and trace amounts of water formed through the catalyst regeneration process. Valves here must withstand fluctuations in temperature while maintaining tightness over years of operation. Valmet's metal seated valves are extensively used in these applications.
Reliable valves and services for ethylene and propylene processing
Sustainable profitability
After safety, uptime is the primary concern that ultimately determines whether or not an olefin plant will be sustainably profitable in an increasingly competitive global market.
There are many critical valves within an ethylene plant. From cracking to quenching, valves are subject to a wide range of thermal conditions, corrosive medium and coke residue. In these demanding applications, inferior valves will quickly wear, leak and need service. Great valves will reduce fugitive emissions and extend the intervals between scheduled maintenance shutdowns.
Ethylene-specific valves from Valmet are tailor-made to tackle applications challenges
Friction and galling are the enemy of valve cycle life. Our proprietary coatings are carefully chosen for their thermal expansion compatibility with the substrate. The result is that many of Valmet's customers are now increasing the time between scheduled valve maintenance from 3 – 4 years to 7 – 9 years.
Trouble-free valves: Valmet's specialty for over 60 years
Valmet has put 60 years of experience in the olefin industry into our full line of control, safety, and automated on/off valves. Our full-offering of the industry’s safest valves meet all the demands of ethylene processing to provide 7 to 9 years of uptime – compared to competitive valves that operate at roughly half that. We push the industry envelope in extending uptime and increasing ROI.
Insights

Making a big difference to ethylene project engineering
As demand for ethylene rises, so does the need for valve solutions that offer maximum reliability, safety and performance. After safety, uptime is a major determinant of whether an ethylene plant can be sustainably profitable in an increasingly competitive global market.

Selecting valves for an ethylene plant: what is the right choice?
Running a reliable and competitive ethylene plant in an ever-growing ethylene production market is a matter of overcoming many challenges. However, choosing valve solutions that offer maximum reliability, safety and performance for your application is the first step to success.

Flow control solutions for ethylene cracker furnaces
This is Part 1 of our series of three posts on valve selection for ethylene cracking. Ethylene is a basic building block in the chemical industry, and is the link between chemical companies and petroleum refiners. An ethylene plant, also well known as a steam cracker, is often and correctly called an olefin plant because of the fact that the end products are primarily olefins, mainly ethylene, propylene and butadiene.

Repeatable reliability on-time!
What happened to the valves when the German olefin producer had a major shut-down at their ethylene cracker?