Solution Mining

The HCV valve is used to replace gate valves in a limited throttling application in the injection/return "washout" process used in solution mining. The stationary core and the hemi reduced the typical failures of the gate valve including washed out bodies and erosion of the seats and gates.

Challenge

The customer mines for soluble minerals through a solution mining process similar to salt dome development process. The mineral deposit is injected with water from surface, once the water is enriched with the desired materials it is pumped to lined solar evaporation ponds on the surface where the water evaporates, leaving behind salt and the minerals. The residual materials are then removed from the "pond" and transported to a processing facility where additional refining is required to produce a product ready for sale. The specific installation for the HCV Valve was to replace a gate valve used in a limited throttling application in the injection/return "washout" process. Historically, the failure mode of the gate valves have included: bodies washing out, erosion of seats and gates. Previously the typical gate valve would last between 6 to 12 months.

Solution

Chromatic initially supplied ten valves for a manifold rebuilding project. Valves performed satisfactorily to the point that the customer has repeatedly placed additional orders resulting in more than 75 valves installed in their manifold system.