IXOM Project Spotlight: Valve Improvement Across the Chlorine Industry

At IXOM, our driving purpose is to solve our customers' challenges through innovation; while making sure we prioritise safety in our own operations, in our customers' operations, and in the communities in which we live and work.

As one of Australia and New Zealand's largest manufacturers of chlorine, we continually look for opportunities to raise industry standards, and a recent project we undertook for a major Australian water utility customer is a key example of our team's ability to combine innovation and safety to solve our customers' challenges.

The Issue

IXOM's customer operates Major Hazard Facility (MHF)-sized chlorination systems.

After a supplier changed the design of an auxiliary valve used to connect chlorine drums to water treatment processes, our customer was concerned that the supplier's new valve did not meet their operational requirements.

Some of the issues included:

• Additional threaded connections, increasing the chance of a leak and requiring changes to connection procedures.
• Pressure rating below the maximum pressure possible in the customer's system
• Longer overall length requiring plant changes

Given IXOM's strong safety culture and record of improving standards across the industry, our customer approached us to see if we could find a safer valve solution.

Engaging with the Customer to Address Concerns

The IXOM team worked closely with our utility customer and our valve manufacturer over a period of two years to develop a valve that met the customer's needs.

Ultimately, IXOM was able to adapt a similar valve style that we use in the manufacture of sodium hypochlorite at our regional manufacturing facilities.

The IXOM designed valves featured:

• Silver brazed threaded connections, using a silver alloy compliant to Chlorine Institute specifications and providing a strong, permanent connection.
• Individually pressure tested to 50 bar, well above design requirements
• A shorter overall length, minimising the need for pipework or operational changes at the customer's site.
• The ability to lift the connection nut above the sealing face, allowing simpler removal of old gaskets and eliminating the risk of damaging sealing faces when using picks or scrapers to remove old gaskets.
• A more robust threaded connection lubricant used in assembly to tolerate higher temperatures observed during manufacturing.
• Individually wrapped packaging with desiccant satchel to ensure dry conditions for service.

Testing and Feedback Process

Each valve individually pressure tested to 50 bar, demonstrating a significantly higher standard than the standard 29 bar requirement, and well above the 13 bar operating pressure for the replacement valve. This pressure was required to meet conditions seen in the customer's process.

Our customer was provided with a sample of the valve, used to conduct rigorous independent material and leak testing to demonstrate conformance with their requirements.

An initial supply of valves was put into testing, with positive feedback from engineering and operational teams on the valve design, quality and operation.

Broader Industry Implications

IXOM also contacted other water utilities across Australia and found similar valve safety concerns across the industry.

Once our initial utility customer was satisfied with the results of their independent testing, we engaged with other major Australian water and energy utilities using liquefied chlorine gas to demonstrate the effectiveness of the new, IXOM-supplied valve.

IXOM was able to readily supply this improved design at a competitive price given our expertise with similar connections, resulting in significant safety improvements at a cost saving to the water industry.

IXOM is committed to improving health and safety outcomes wherever our chemicals are used.

"As one of Australia's leading suppliers to the water industry, we have a responsibility to continuously look for opportunities to improve safety standards across the sector. This project demonstrates how close collaboration with customers, combined with IXOM's expertise in chlorine handling and manufacturing, can deliver practical innovations that benefit not only a single site but the wider industry." – Nathan McCluskey, IXOM Chemical Systems Manager

To learn how we can solve your challenges across the water industry, connect with us here.