Severe Service Underflow Control Valves | SlurryFlo Control Valves

Robust UnderFlow Solutions

Gravity and mechanical separation processes require high performance control valves to effectively modulate the flow of suspended solids.

The underflow discharge on these technologies consists of crushed ore, which can quickly erode standard slurry control valves and piping.

SlurryFlo control valves provide unique custom engineered solutions to mitigate erosion damage, lower operating costs, and decrease downtime.

At various Canadian oil sands facilities, gravity and mechanical separation equipment are often utilized within the Extraction, Slurry Prep, Froth Treatment, and Tailings processes.

Equipment such as Inclined Plate Separators (IPS), which play an important role in the Froth Treatment process, have underflow control valves and downstream piping that are prone to premature wear due to continuous erosion.

Damaged Severe Service Ball Control Valve

Application Reference

IPS UnderFlow
Slurry Valves

A Special Alloy Fabricators client at an oil sands mining facility was struggling with severe erosion to their IPS underflow control valves and piping.

At 4-5 month service intervals, the ball valves and downstream piping required replacement. The result was high maintenance costs, poor reliability, profit loss, and production shut downs.

After trying various technologies (such as ceramic lined V-port control valves, and downstream spools with hard weld overlay), the client turned to SAF for a solution.

Upon installing SlurryFlo control valves in their slurry applications, the client observed a quantum leap in service life. Following three years of continuous service, the facility replaced all V-port ball valves with SlurryFlo control valves.

The client noted that “the valve sells itself - it just works."

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