Grupo Compás

Part of The M Corporation (Norway), a company that specializes in supplies to petrochemical and fine chemicals companies. The company started in 1972, initially as a supplier of mechanical parts, such as nuts and bolts, to workshops and hydraulic maintenance companies. It gradually extended its scope of supply to larger engineering firms and manufacturing plants in Spain. During the 1980s and 1990s, the company obtained representation agreements with several international pump and compressor companies. Given the complexity of these products, the manufacturers of each brand had to be approved by the end user sites, and this part of the business gradually became the company's main focus. The strategy of advising plants on their procurements accelerated such that in 2003, Grupo Compás expanded its service from Spain to the rest of the European Union, then the rest of Europe in 2004, into North America in 2006 and to a worldwide scale in 2008, limiting its business to the valves business. In this business segment, Grupo Compás supplies valves internationally from its Barcelona warehouse.

• Name — Grupo Compás • Type — Limited Company • Trade Name — Alloy Valve Stockist • Founded — 1972 • Hq Location — Barcelona, Spain • Area Served — Worldwide • Industry — Petrochemical • Products — Valves • Parent — alloy-valves.com • Website — valvula.es

Alkylation in petroleum refining is a process through which olefins and parafins are combined to form high molecular weight isoparaffins. Alkylation uses hydrofluoric acid (hf acid), a highly corrosive substance that dissolves a wide range of materials, particularly the oxides. Monel valves are generally used in the most critical phases of alkylation due to their corrosion resistant properties.

Sulphuric acid is a petrochemical derivative used in the manufacture of fertilizers; it is highly corrosive. Alloy 20 valves are used to handle the corrosion, particularly when the acid concentration levels reach 96-98%.

Desalination plants refine sea water in order to produce potable water. Duplex and super duplex valves are corrosion resistant to sea water salinity are therefore often used in desalination plants.

Heat exchange systems—often found at power stations—are used due to their mechanical resistance properties which in turn makes de tubular plenums resistant to vibrations. This in turn allows the tubes to be thinner and hence allow for [heat exchange]. As titanium produces a stainless cover on its surface, it makes it a heat and corrosion resistant medium. Titanium valves are therefore often used in heat critical parts thermal power stations.

Nickel alloys, such as the different grades of hastelloy are known for their heat resistance properties, as well as their moderate to elevated resistance to head. Hastelloy valves are often used in pressure vessels at nuclear power

Inconel and incoloy valves are used in gas turbine engines in those parts of the process that are subject to heat and require mechanical resistance to creep as well as corrosion and oxidation.

Chromium and molybdenum alloys are extremely heat resistant and can tolerate the high pressure-temperature process combination that are typically found at combined cycle plants that use super heated vapor to produce electricity.

Piping and valves that are exposed to concentrated chlorine require super austenitic alloys that remain inert to the medium. Valves made of 6moly, 254 SMO and A182 F44 are suitable for such process conditions.

Some petrochemical processes do not require valves to be completely made of a particular alloy, but allow that only the valve parts that are in contact with the medium (known as trim or wetted parts). Cost savings are a great catalyst for combining standard material valve bodies with alloy trim. For example, for a valve used at an inland desalination plant may it might be sufficient to use a duplex or super duplex trim, whilst the same valve used offshore might have to be made of duplex or super duplex body and trim. The American Petroleum Institute has standardized 18 trims, amongst others Trim 9 (monel), and trim 13 (Alloy 20). Other trims, however, can be made according to a manufacturer's own standards.

• Illustration — Hastelloy ball valve • Illustration — Stainless steel gate valve • Illustration — Stainless steel gate valve • Illustration — Hastelloy check valves • Illustration — Duplex ball valve • Illustration — Inconel gate valve • Illustration — Stainless steel wafer check valve • Illustration — Inconel check valve • Illustration — Stainless steel ball valve • Illustration — Cryogenic 254 SMO gate valve • Illustration — Inside view of a tilting disc inconel check valve • Illustration — Duplex ball valves • Illustration — Cryogenic super duplex gate valve frozen up during operation • Illustration — Super duplex ball valves • Illustration — Flanged nozzle inconel check valve or axial check valve • Illustration — Inside hastelloy check valve, wafer configuration • Illustration — Large carbon steel swing check valve