Valve improvements in EGA Alumina Refineries (UAE)

CHALLENGE:

Due to service severity, angle valves at EGA alumina refineries suffer high erosion and life/performance needs to be continuously improved. 

Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) is the world’s largest premium aluminium producer and the biggest industrial company in the United Arab Emirates outside oil and gas.

SOLUTION:

On an ongoing collaboration between AMPO SERVICE and EGA, new solutions (design changes, new materials, overlays…) are being continuously developed and implemented achieving excellent results on valve performance and service durability. 

AMPO POYAM VALVES has been supplying custom-made angle valves to alumina refineries since 1978, having supplied more than 40,000 manual and actuated angle valves for key global customers as their Single Source of Alumina Valve Solutions (SSAVS). 

The main areas of use for these valves are the following units: digestion, clarification, precipitation, calcination, bauxite grinding, evaporation, RMPH, causticization, security and fine seed filtration, washing, AutoGenus, semi-autonomous milling and grinding, pre-desilication (PDS), digestions (evaporators, back-pressure control station, flash tanks, blow off transfer, heat exchangers), lime slaking to BRDA (Bauxite Residue Disposal Area) transfer, RMF, decanting and bauxite residue washers, clarification and washers (mud thickeners, primary and secondary security filtrations), agglomeration, precipitation-pachuca train tanks, classification, primary seed filtrations (hydro-cyclone, secondary seed filtrations, hydrate thickeners and washers, hydrate transfer to calcination, transfer line of spent liquor throughout the processes…)

Our expertise and know-how allow us to always offer the optimal solution for any severe service application. Thanks to our experience and flow simulation facilities AMPO can recommend internal coatings and designs to increase valve performance; the regrinding operation is included to avoid sealing problems and increase valve life, different operations are adapted to the customer’s plant requirements (Manual, Grindbide® (Bevel gear) or actuated (Electric, Pneumatic or Hydraulic)), face-to-face dimensions are customized, etc.