Views: 0 Author: J-VALVES Publish Time: 2026-08-06 Origin: Site
2PC floating ball valve is a widely‑used on‑off component for oil & gas, petrochemical and coal‑chemical industries. With floating ball structure, this valve realizes pipeline media shut‑off. Flanged connection is common, and available in WCB carbon steel, A105 forged steel and stainless steel material grades. It is installed for pipelines transporting flammable, explosive or toxic fluid.
Basic 2PC ball valves can perform simple open‑close work. Nevertheless, for high‑risk working scenarios, nominal pressure and size parameters are far from enough. Fire hazards and fugitive leakage may trigger explosion, personnel poisoning and severe environmental pollution. API 6FA fire‑safe certification and ISO 15848 fugitive emission certification are two critical standards to handle these risks.
API 6FA is the fire‑safe test specification issued by American Petroleum Institute. It evaluates whether valves can maintain acceptable sealing performance under high‑temperature fire exposure.
Some ball valves work perfectly under normal ambient temperature. Once fire breaks out on site, non‑metallic seat and packing will melt under extreme heat. Dangerous fluid will leak out and worsen fire disasters.
1. Non‑metallic components melt during fire, flammable medium leaks out and fuels fire spread;
2. Valves fail to cut off pipeline medium after fire, resulting in expanded site damages;
3. For global oil & gas and chemical tender projects, 2PC floating ball valves without API 6FA fire‑safe test report will be rejected directly.
Note: API 6FA approval cannot be replaced by ordinary factory inspection certificate. Valves need to pass third‑party fire‑safe type test with complete official test reports, rather than only printed marks on valve nameplate.
ISO 15848 is global standard for valve fugitive emission test. It focuses on tiny leakage from valve stem packing area.
Most buyers pay attention to visible leakage on flange and body joint, while ignoring invisible fugitive emission through stem gaps. For natural gas, hydrogen sulfide and volatile chemical fluid, invisible continuous leakage causes energy waste, occupational health hazards and excessive greenhouse gas emission.
1. Meet global environmental compliance requirements: ISO 15848 certification is mandatory specification for European, Middle‑East oil‑gas projects;
2. Lower site maintenance cost: Valves passing ISO 15848 own durable stem packing system and reduce on‑site replacement frequency;
3. Protect field workers against toxic volatile medium leakage.
Many valve suppliers claim fire‑safe and low‑leakage performance on brochures, but cannot provide authentic third‑party test documents. Keep these points in mind during sourcing:
1. Type‑test reports shall correspond to exact valve model, size and pressure class. Reports from other valve models are not acceptable;
2. API 6FA test includes both external and internal leakage inspection under fire condition;
3. ISO 15848 covers multiple performance classes. BH grade is preferred for harsh chemical and oil‑gas applications;
4. Do not only chase low price. Cheap 2PC floating ball valves missing API 6FA and ISO 15848 certifications may lead to huge safety risks and project acceptance failure.
‑ Onshore & offshore oil‑gas gathering pipelines‑ Refinery and petrochemical process lines with flammable fluid‑ Overseas EPC engineering projects, foreign‑invested chemical plants
‑ Industrial piping handling toxic and volatile process medium
Many purchasers focus on valve size, pressure class and material, but overlook API 6FA fire‑safe and ISO 15848 fugitive emission certifications for 2PC floating ball valves.
API 6FA guarantees controllable valve performance during fire emergency; ISO 15848 prevents invisible fugitive leakage in daily operation.For export‑oriented projects, these two third‑party test reports are essential for bidding and site acceptance. Request complete matching type‑test reports from valve manufacturers before purchase to avoid safety trouble and project rejection.
