The API 600 standard covers the requirements for gate valve used in the downstream refinery industry for oil and gas. Specifically, the standard specifies a thicker walled construction and mandates low emission performance unless otherwise specified when compared against ASME B16.34 valves. The standard specifies the design feature requirements, testing requirements, material requirements of these valves along with some additional documentation, packaging, and information requirements.
TLDR
- “Thick Wall” Carbon Steel, Stainless Steel, Alloy Steel
- API 624 Low Emission Type Test Required, API 622 Low emission packing may be waived
- Valves larger than 24″ often require special treatment for non-vertical operation, such as hardfacing of guides.
- API Trim Table
Standard Basic Information
Title: Steel Gate Valves – Flanged and Butt-welding Ends, Bolted Bonnets | Edition: Fourteenth Edition | Date of Publish: May 2021
Status: ACTIVE | No Task-Force Activities
Organization: American Petroleum Institute
Work Group: Committee on Refinery Equipment (CRE) – Subcommittee on Piping and Valves (SCOPV)
Sections
- Scope
- Normative References
- Terms and Definitions
- Pressure/Temperature Ratings
- Design
- Materials
- Testing, Inspection and Examination
- Marking
- Preparation for Shipment
- Annex A: API Monogram
- Annex B: Information to be Specified by the Purchaser
- Annex C: Identification of Valve Terms
- Annex D: Valve Material Combinations
- Annex E: Wear Travel Measurement Technique
Standard Overview
Scope
- Gate valve
- Size: 1 NPS to 42 NPS (25 DN to 1050 DN)
- Class : 150 to 2,500
- Material: Steel
Design
- Wall thickness is thicker than ASME B16.34, most sizes are more than 3mm greater than ASME B16.34.
- End designs to ASME B16.5, ASME B16.47, or ASME B16.25
- Face-to-face dimension to ASME B16.10 (ISO 5752)
- Tabulated minimum seat internal diameter
- Bonnet shall be one-piece construction, and have backseat and secured packing gland boltings.
- Bonnet-to-bonnet joint shall be connected with gasket
- Gate may be one piece, or two piece; solid or flex.
- Tabulated minimum stem diameter (and permitted under tolerance)
- Many details in regards to the designs of the drivetrain, in response of operation issues.
- Tabulated nominal packing sizes
- Valve shall be qualified by testing to API 624
Materials
- Acceptable valve materials are listed in ASME B16.34. Group 1 and 2 are considered listed and acceptable material.
- Standard specifies material requirement for trims, and other listed parts.
- Trim is defined to be
- Stem
- Body seating surface
- Gate seating surface
- Bushing/weld for the backseat
- small internal parts that normally contact the service fluid
- Other listed parts
- Body and bonnet
- Gate
- Separated yoke
- Body bonnet bolting
- Bonnet gasket
- Gland and yoke bolting
- Seat ring
- Gland flange
- Gland
- Packing
- Lantern ring, spacer ring
- Stem nut
- Handwheel
- Handwheel nut
- Pipe plugs
- Bypass piping and valves
- Pins for double disc design
- Identification Plate
- Tabulated Trim Table
Testing, Inspection and Examination
- Valve shall be tested to API 598
- Valve design shall be qualified to API 624
Important Notes
API 600 is written for a more robust valve which can be easily stocked and available for refineries to procure. However, the standard have grown in global adaptation and are now used as the base specification to specify gate valves for many industries for both MRO and capital project activities.
For access to API standard, please check. IHS | Techstreet |
For information on additional valve standards please see Standards Summaries.