Can petrochemical standards be used in general chemical engineering?
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Can petrochemical standards be used in general chemical engineering?
It’s better to provide more specific details so it’s easier to answer! In my opinion, for general chemical industries, it is also feasible to refer to the requirements of petroleum industry standards; at least a reference to those petroleum standards should be included!
I work at a chemical company, and in my daily tasks I make use of many standards issued by the Ministry of Petrochemicals, such as the \"Technical Regulations for Safety in Petrochemical Construction\" SH3505-99； \"Code for Construction and Acceptance of Petrochemical Pumping Units\" SH/T3541-2007 ； \"Hygienic Protection Distances for Petrochemical Enterprises\" SH3093-1999, and so on.
Petrochemical standards can be applied to general chemical engineering projects, and that is exactly what we do; the ＜Petrochemical Pipeline Design Reference Manual＞ is frequently used in standard chemical engineering design
In terms of the strictness of the requirements, petrochemical standards and specifications are generally more stringent than those for general chemical industries. However, such stricter requirements lead to increased investment costs. Simply put, if SH specifications are used for pipes and valves, the investment cost for pipes in a medium-sized chemical plant will increase by 5% on average. However, petrochemical standards are aligned with foreign standards and have a high level of rigor; the advantage of this is that both product quality and the quality of construction projects can be ensured. Therefore, from the perspective of design firms, if investment control is not too strict, it is generally recommended to use petrochemical standards.
It is generally not necessary to use them; some specifications can be referred to. Petrochemical specifications are mainly intended for refining and petrochemical enterprises, while chemical enterprises should preferably follow the standards set by the Ministry of Chemical Industry. For aspects not covered by these ministry standards, petrochemical specifications can be used as a reference – unless the materials being produced require the application of petrochemical specifications per strict regulations. There are many differences between petrochemical specifications and the standards of the Ministry of Chemical Industry, and using petrochemical specifications can lead to problems during inspection and construction.
Generally, the requirements regarding the spacing between installations are stricter under the industrial standards than those in the building codes, but within each installation, the requirements are lower than those specified by the building codes. For chemical enterprises, strict adherence to the building codes can be cumbersome; in such cases, the industrial standards can serve as a reference.