Technical Reference
Valve Selection by Fluid Service
Material compatibility tables and valve selection guides for 54 industrial fluids — from corrosive acids to cryogenic LNG to high-pressure hydrogen.
Corrosive Fluids
Sulphuric Acid (H₂SO₄)
H₂SO₄Sulphuric acid is one of the most widely used industrial chemicals.
Hydrochloric Acid (HCl)
HClHydrochloric acid is extremely aggressive to most metals.
Seawater
Seawater is highly corrosive due to dissolved chlorides (~3.
Caustic Soda (NaOH)
NaOHSodium hydroxide (caustic soda) is used extensively in the chlor-alkali industry, paper & pulp, alumina refining, and chemical manufacturing.
Phosphoric Acid (H₃PO₄)
H₃PO₄Phosphoric acid is a moderate acid used in fertiliser production (wet process phosphoric acid), food processing, metal surface treatment, and semiconductor manufacturing.
Nitric Acid (HNO₃)
HNO₃Nitric acid is a strong oxidising acid used in fertiliser production, explosives manufacturing, stainless steel passivation, and pharmaceutical synthesis.
Brine / Sodium Chloride Solution
Brine (sodium chloride solution) is handled in chlor-alkali production, food processing, desalination, and produced water from oil wells.
Amine (DEA / MEA / MDEA - Gas Sweetening)
Amine solutions - diethanolamine (DEA), monoethanolamine (MEA), and methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) - are used extensively in natural gas and refinery gas sweetening units to remove hydrogen sulphide (H₂S) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) from sour gas streams.
Urea Solution (Carbamide / DEF / AdBlue)
CO(NH₂)₂Urea solution is encountered in three main industrial contexts: (1) 32.
Acetic Acid (CH₃COOH)
CH₃COOHAcetic acid is a key industrial chemical used as a solvent and as feedstock for PTA (purified terephthalic acid), vinyl acetate monomer, cellulose acetate, and acetic anhydride.
Phenol (C₆H₅OH - Carbolic Acid)
C₆H₅OHPhenol (carbolic acid) is an aromatic compound that is solid at ambient temperature (melting point 41°C) but handled as a liquid by heat tracing pipelines at 50–80°C.
Sodium Hypochlorite (NaOCl - Bleach)
NaOClSodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) is used as a disinfectant and bleaching agent in water treatment (typically 0.
Caustic Potash (KOH - Potassium Hydroxide)
KOHPotassium hydroxide (caustic potash, KOH) is a strong alkaline chemical used in potassium soap production, fertilisers, batteries (alkaline and nickel metal hydride), electrolysers for green hydrogen production, and as a pH adjuster.
Hazardous / Toxic
Chlorine (Cl₂)
Cl₂Chlorine is a powerful oxidiser and highly toxic gas (IDLH: 10 ppm).
Ammonia (NH₃)
NH₃Ammonia is handled as a refrigerant (R-717), in fertiliser production, and as a chemical feedstock.
Hydrogen (H₂)
H₂Hydrogen is the smallest molecule - extreme permeation tendency, wide flammability range (4–75%), and susceptibility to hydrogen embrittlement in high-strength steels.
Hydrofluoric Acid (HF)
HFHydrofluoric acid is one of the most hazardous industrial chemicals.
Oxygen (O₂ - Industrial and Medical Grade)
O₂Oxygen in industrial concentrations (>23.
Synthesis Gas (Syngas - CO + H₂)
CO + H₂Synthesis gas (syngas) is a mixture of carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H₂) produced by steam methane reforming (SMR), partial oxidation, or gasification of coal, biomass, or refinery residues.
Chlorine Dioxide (ClO₂)
ClO₂Chlorine dioxide is a powerful oxidising biocide used in pulp and paper bleaching (replacing elemental chlorine), municipal drinking water treatment, and food plant sanitisation.
Hydrogen Sulphide (H₂S - Sour Gas)
H₂SHydrogen sulphide (H₂S) is a highly toxic, flammable gas encountered in crude oil and natural gas production ('sour service'), refinery amine treating, geothermal wells, biogas/landfill gas, and Claus sulphur recovery units.
Carbon Monoxide (CO)
COCarbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless, highly toxic gas encountered in syngas (CO + H₂), steel plant blast furnace gas (BFG), coke oven gas (COG), methanol synthesis, Oxo alcohols production, and as a combustion product.
Hydrocarbons
Crude Oil
Crude oil is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons, water, gases (including H₂S), sediment, and wax.
LPG - Liquefied Petroleum Gas
LPG (propane/butane mixture) is stored and transported as a pressurised liquid.
Natural Gas
Natural gas (primarily methane) is transported in high-pressure pipelines and distributed at lower pressures.
Diesel Fuel / Fuel Oil
Diesel and fuel oil (HSD, LDO, HFO) are widely used petroleum products handled in refineries, terminals, power plants, and marine vessels.
Acetone (Propanone)
C₃H₆OAcetone is a highly flammable solvent used in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, adhesives, and chemical synthesis.
Methanol (Methyl Alcohol)
CH₃OHMethanol is a highly flammable, toxic alcohol used as a fuel additive (MTBE/FAME production), chemical feedstock, and hydrate inhibitor in gas pipelines.
Hot Oil (Thermal Heat Transfer Fluid)
Hot oil or thermal fluid is used as a heat transfer medium in indirect heating systems - circulated through heaters and heat exchangers to transfer heat without generating steam.
Ethylene (C₂H₄)
C₂H₄Ethylene is the world's largest-volume petrochemical feedstock - produced by steam cracking of naphtha, ethane, or LPG, then used to manufacture polyethylene, PVC, ethylene oxide, styrene, and dozens of downstream chemicals.
Ethanol / Industrial Alcohol (C₂H₅OH)
C₂H₅OHIndustrial ethanol encompasses fuel ethanol from sugar/grain fermentation, pharmaceutical-grade ethanol (IPA equivalent), and solvent ethanol used in chemical synthesis.
Propylene / Propene (C₃H₆)
C₃H₆Propylene is a key olefin feedstock produced by steam cracking and FCC units, used to make polypropylene (PP), acrylonitrile, propylene oxide, and cumene.
Xylene (C₈H₁₀ - Ortho, Meta, Para)
C₈H₁₀Xylenes are aromatic hydrocarbons produced from catalytic reforming and coal tar distillation, widely used as solvents and as feedstocks for PTA (purified terephthalic acid, the monomer for PET polyester).
Toluene (C₇H₈)
C₇H₈Toluene is an aromatic hydrocarbon solvent used in paints, adhesives, pharmaceuticals, and as a gasoline blending component.
Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO / Bunker C / Fuel Oil No. 6)
Complex hydrocarbons (C₂₀–C₅₀)Heavy fuel oil (HFO), also known as bunker fuel, residual fuel oil, or Fuel Oil No.
Naphtha (Light / Heavy Naphtha)
C₅–C₁₂ hydrocarbonsNaphtha is a broad distillate fraction of crude oil (boiling range ~30–200°C) used as gasoline blending stock, as feedstock for catalytic reforming (to make BTX aromatics), as petrochemical cracker feed, and as a solvent.
Propane (C₃H₈ - LPG Component)
C₃H₈Propane is a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) component used for domestic and industrial heating, as an industrial fuel, as a petrochemical feedstock (propane dehydrogenation to propylene), and as an aerosol propellant.
Cryogenic
Utility Fluids
High-Pressure Steam
Steam is the most common industrial utility fluid.
Carbon Dioxide (CO₂)
CO₂CO₂ is used in supercritical extraction, fire suppression, EOR (Enhanced Oil Recovery), CCS (Carbon Capture Storage), and beverage carbonation.
Cooling Water
Cooling water - open or closed circuit - is found in almost every industrial plant.
Compressed Air
N₂ / O₂ mixtureCompressed air is the most widely used utility in industrial plants - powering pneumatic actuators, instruments, tools, conveying systems, and process air injection.
MEG / Glycol (Monoethylene Glycol - Gas Dehydration)
C₂H₆O₂Monoethylene glycol (MEG) is used as a hydrate inhibitor in natural gas pipelines and as a refrigerant in gas processing plants.
Demineralised Water (DM Water / Deionised Water)
Demineralised water (DM water) is ultra-pure water with almost all dissolved minerals removed by ion exchange or reverse osmosis.
Nitrogen (N₂)
N₂Nitrogen is an inert utility gas used throughout industry for blanketing, purging, pressurisation, and inerting of vessels, pipelines, and tanks.
Argon (Ar)
ArArgon is a chemically inert noble gas used extensively in steel manufacturing (EAF and BOF purging, ladle rinsing), welding (shielding gas), semiconductor fab, and as a product of air separation units.
Boiler Feedwater (BFW)
H₂O (treated)Boiler feedwater is highly purified, deaerated, and chemically dosed water supplied to steam boilers at pressure and elevated temperature.
Glycerine / Glycerol (C₃H₈O₃)
C₃H₈O₃Glycerine (glycerol) is a colourless, viscous, water-miscible alcohol with diverse industrial applications including pharmaceuticals, food, cosmetics, and as a by-product of biodiesel production (transesterification).
Hot Water (District Heating / Process Hot Water)
H₂O (pressurised)Hot water service covers a wide range of applications from domestic heating circuits (60–90°C, 6–10 barg) to district heating networks (130–180°C, 10–25 barg) and process hot oil equivalent water circuits.
Vacuum Service
Sub-atmospheric pressureVacuum service encompasses any application where the process pressure is below atmospheric (0.
Slurries & Solids
Slurry - Abrasive Pulp / Mineral Slurry
Slurry service involves suspensions of abrasive solids in liquid (typically water).
Bitumen / Asphalt
Complex polynuclear aromaticsBitumen (asphalt) is the heaviest fraction of petroleum distillation, solid at ambient temperature and requiring heating to 150–230°C for handling and pumping.
Molasses
C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁ (sucrose) + impuritiesMolasses is the thick, dark viscous byproduct of sugar refining - the mother liquor remaining after most of the sucrose has been crystallised.
Engineering Disclaimer
All fluid compatibility information on this site is indicative only, based on published corrosion engineering data. Actual material suitability depends on concentration, temperature, flow velocity, pH, dissolved gases, and presence of contaminants. All specifications must be reviewed by a qualified materials or process engineer before procurement. Vajra Industrial Solutions and VajraVyuh Enterprise Pvt. Ltd. accept no liability for any consequence of specifications made based on this reference material.