API 623 Standard Summary

The API 623 standard covers the requirements for globe 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.

Standard Basic Information

Title: Steel Globe Valves – Flanged and Butt-welding Ends, Bolted Bonnets | Edition: First Edition | Date of Publish: January 2013

Status: ACTIVE | Next revision to be published Late 2020/Early 2021

Organization: American Petroleum Institute

Work Group: Committee on Refinery Equipment (CRE) – Subcommittee on Piping and Valves (SCOPV)

Sections

  1. Scope
  2. Normative References
  3. Terms and Definitions
  4. Pressure/Temperature Ratings
  5. Design
  6. Materials
  7. Testing, Inspection and Examination
  8. Marking
  9. Preparation for Shipment
  10. Annex A: Information to be Specified by the Purchaser
  11. Annex B: Identification of Valve Terms
  12. Annex C: Valve Material Combinations
  13. Bibliography

Standard Overview

Scope

  • Globe valve
  • Size: 1 NPS to 24 NPS (25 DN to 1050 DN)
  • Class : 150 to 2,500
  • 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
  • Disc shall require guiding in certain sizes and pressure.
  • Tabulated minimum stem diameter (and permitted under tolerance). larger than BS 1873 minimum.
  • 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
  • Feature requirements on stop-check globe valves

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
    • Disc seating surface
    • Bushing/weld for the backseat
    • small internal parts that normally contact the service fluid
  • Other listed parts
    • Body and bonnet
    • Disc
    • 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
    • Identification Plate
  • Tabulated Trim Table, identical to API 600.

Testing, Inspection and Examination

  • Valve shall be tested to API 598
  • Valve design shall be qualified to API 624

Important Notes

API 623 is written for after the industry repeatedly specify an “API 600” globe valve. The standard models after API 600 and maintains the same section as API 600. Any notes in regard to special service, specification, and custom modification which may make a valve not meet API 623 may require the manufacture to strike out API 623 in the nameplate to maintain compliance to their API monogram program.

For access to API standard, please check. IHS | Techstreet |

For information on additional valve standards please see Standards Summaries.

Other Standards