What are Bellow Sealed Valves?

In Bellow sealed valves , conventional gland packing is replaced by a bellows cartridge welded to the
valve bonnet and stem. A bellow is a long accordion-like tube. As the valve stem strokes, the bellows
expands or compresses with the stroke movement. There are no sliding or rotating seals through which
process fluid can pass.
Types of Bellows
There are two main types of bellows, welded bellows and formed bellows. The latter is made by a
relatively recent method in which a uniform bellows is produced from a thin tube. The shaping of the
metal is carried out in a collapsible die under high fluid pressure. This is the most rational method of
producing weldless bellows. Valvola prefers this formed bellows over the welded type. The following
table will show just why...
Type

Formed Bellows

Welded Bellows

Reliable durability because bellows

produced from a single piece of
metal.
Guaranteed 5,000 Cycles or more
life cycle.

Of doubtful reliability because of a

number of a small welded Spots.
Plies may have been affected by heat
and thus life is hard to predict

Shape of
Convolution

Durability

Suitability for Because of wide opening between

use in Valve plies of bellows, bellow function
will not be impaired by bits of
foreign matter in fluid.
Quality
Control

Wedge-shaped opening between

plies will trap foreign matter in fluid,
leading to bellow failure.

Very difficult to inspect welded spots

Easy to test for quality. Bellows can
for quality, hence quality difficult to
be produced of uniform quality.
control.

A bellow is the heart of this type of valves. A formed bellows is made by rolling flat sheet into a tube
and longitudinal fusion welding. This tube is then mechanically or hydraulically formed into bellows
with rounded and widely spaced folds.
In welded leaf- type bellows. Washer like plates of thin metal are welded together. Welding is done on
both inner and outer circumference of of the washer like plate. A welded leaf bellows has more folds per
unit length. Both formed and welded leaf bellows have the same travel per fold. Thus, for the same
stroke length, mechanically formed bellows are two to three times longer than their welded leaf
counterparts. Reportedly mechanically formed bellows fail at random spots, while the welded leaf
usually fails at or near a weld. That is why Valvola uses only formed bellows.
Why Bellow Sealed Valves?
Leakage from the valve gland is often a problem for the maintenance engineer. Losses incurred due to
this type of leakage are considerable. Steam at 150 psi escapes through a gland with a clearance of 0.001
in. at a rate of 25 lb/hr. This means a loss of $1.2/8-hr shift and $1,100/yr. A tiny drop of 0.4 mm
diameter/sec results in a waste of about 200 l/yr of costly oil or solvent.
Apart from this high cost of energy and material loss, the leakage also results in serious environmental,
ecological and oftne hazardous pronlems. The leaking fluid can be corrosice, explosive or poisonous. Ina
any case, it has to be checked before it leaks. A bellows seal valve can be a simple solution to all these

problems. The following table proves this:

Comparison with Conventional and Piston Valves
BELLOW SEALED
VALVES

PISTON
VALVES

CONVENTIONAL
VALVES

Primary
Stem Seal

Metallic Bellow

Piston ring

Gland Packing

Secondary
stem Seal

Gland Packing

None

None

Stem
Leakage

Not Possible.Metallic
Bellows are designed to
last several thousand
cycles

Occurs as soon
as the
rings(which are
made of gasket
mtl) wear out

Very common.Due to
friction between stem and
the gland, leakage occurs
within a few cycles no
matter which make valve or
what quality of gland
packing

Packing
Not applicable
Replacement

Rings need to be
changed
frequently

Packing needs to be replaced

very often

Replacement Not applicable

Cost

Very high

High

Media Loss

Zero Loss.As the isolation Large in case of

is by metallic
leaks
bellows,leakage (even in
ppm) is not possible

Considerable amount
through gland leakages.
Normally large amount
when leakage remains
unattended.

Equipment
Downtime

Nil

Very high for

replacing rings

Very high for replacing

gland packing

Maintenance Nil
Cost

High as rings
need to be
changed at least
once in six
months

Very High. Gland packing

needs to be replaced/
repacked often. This cost
along with equipment down
time, man hours spent etc. is
very high

Valve Life

High - in years

Low

Very Low - in months. Due

to leakage through gland,
certain parts erode, making
the valve irreparable after
some months. Valve needs
to be replaced

Safety

Can be used safely for

almost any media

Can be used for

limited media
like steam, hot
water etc.

Highly unsafe when the

media is hazardous
/poisonous

Cost

Comparatively higher
initially but lowest total
cost of ownership

High compared
to the benefits
viz a viz
problems

Initially low but very high

after some years if cost of
packing, down time, manhours spent, number of
valves replaced etc. are
taken into account

Features Of Bellow Sealed Valves

Bellow Seal Valve comply with full condition at high temperature and high pressure.
Bellow Seal prevents leakage of sensitive media which constitute high fire risk.
Our bellows are capable of withstanding 20,000 cycles and above without failure under
pressure.
Steam at pressure of 150 p.s.i.escapes through a stem / gland clearance of 1 / 1000th of an inch
at a rate of 24 lbs per hour.
Gland packed valves often demand continual maintenance - inaccessability creating particular
difficulties.

Best suited valve for all critical applications.

ACETALDEHYDE

ETHYLIDENE
DICHLORIDE

2,2,4-TRIMETHYLPENTANE

ACETAMIDE

(1,1-DICHLOROETHANE)

VINYL ACETATE

ACETONITRILE

FORMALDEHYDE

VINYL BROMIDE

2ACETYLAMINOFLORIDE

GLYCOL ETHERS

VINYL CHLORIDE

ACROLEIN

HEXACHLORONBENZENE

VINYLIDENE CHLORIDE

ACRYLIC ACID

HEXACHLOROBUTADIENE

(1,1-DICHLOROETHYLENE)

ACRYLONITRILE

HEXACHLOROETHANE

HEXAMETHYLENE-1,

ALLYL CHLORIDE

XYLENES (ISOMERS AND MIXTURES)

4-AMINOBIPHENYL

6-DIISOCYANATE

O-XYLENES

ANILINE

HEXANE HYDRAZINE

P-XYLENES

O-ANISIDINE

HYDROQUINONE

ANTIMONY COMPOUNDS

BENZENE

ISOPHORONE

ARSENIC COMPOUNDS

BENZIDENE

MALEIC ANHYDRIDE

(INORGANIC INCLUDING

BENZOTRICHLORIDE

METHANOL

ARSINE)

BENZYL CHLORIDE

METHYL BROMIDE

ASBESTOS

BIPHENYL

(BROMO METHANE)

BERYLLIUM COMPOUNDS

BIS (2-ETHYLHEXL

METHYL CHLORIDE

CADMIUM COMPOUNDS

PHTHALATE (DEHP))

(CHLOROMETHANE)

CALCIUM CYANAMIDE

BIS (CHLOROMETHYL)

METHYL CHLOROFORM

CAPTAN

ETHER BROMOFORM

(1,1-1TRICHLOROETHANE)

CARBARYL

1,3-BUTADIENE

METHYL ETHYL KETONE

CHLORAMBEN

CAPROLACTAM CARBON

(2-BUTANONE)

CHLORDANE

DISULFIDE CARBON

METHYL HYDRAZINE

CHLORINE

TETRACHLORIDE

METHYL IODIDE

CHLOROBENZILATE

CARBONYL SULFIDE

(IODOMETHANE)

CHROMIUM COMPOUNDS

CATECHOL

METHYL ISOBUTYL

KETONE COBALT COMPOUNDS

2CHLOROACETOPHENONE

(HEXONE)

COKE OVEN EMISSIONS

CHLOROBENZENE

METHYL ISOCYANATE

CYANIDE COMPOUNDS

CHLOROFORM

METHYL METHACRYLATE

DICHLORVOS

CHLOROMETHYL
METHYL

METHYL TERT BUTYL ETHER ETHYLEBE IMINE

ETHER

(MTBE)

(AZIRIDINE)

CHLOROPRENE

4,4'-METHYLENE BIS

ETHYLENE

CRESOLS/CRESYLIC
ACID

(2-CHLOROANILINE)

HEPTACHLOR

(ISOMERS AND MIXTRS)

METHYLENE CHLORIDE

HEXACHLOROCYCLO-

O-CRESOL

(DICHLOROMETHANE)

PENTADIENE

M-CRESOL

METHYLENE DIPHENYL

HYDROCHLORIC ACID

P-CRESOL

DIISOCYANATE (MDI)

HYDROGEN FLUORIDE

CUMENE

4,4METNYLENEDIANILINE

(HYDROFLUORIC ACID)

2,4-D,SALTS AND ESTERS

NAPHTHALENE

LEAD COMPOUNDS

DDE

NITROBENZENE

LINDANE (ALL ISOMERS)

DIAZOMETHANE

4-NITROBIPHENYL

MANGANESE COMPOUNDS

DIBENZPFURANS

4-NITROPHENOL

MERCURY COMPOUNDS

1,2-DIBROMO-3

2-NITROPROPANE

METHOXYCHLOR

CHLORPROPANE

N-NITROSO-NMETHYLUREA

FINE MINERAL FIBERS

DIBUTYLPHALATE

NNITROSOMETHYLAMINE

NICKEL COMPOUNDS

1,4DICHLOROBENZENE(P)

N-NITROSOMORPHOLINE

PARATHION

3,3DICHLOROBENZIDENE

PHENOL

PENTACHLORONITROBENZENE

DICHLORETHYL ETHER
(BIS

P-PHENYLENEDIAMINE

(QUINTOBENZENE)

(2-CHLORETHYL) ETHER

PHOSGENE

PENTACHLOROPHENOL

1,3-DICHLOROPREPENE

PHTHALIC ANHYDRIDE

PHOSPHINE

N,N-DIETHYL ANILINE

POLYCHLORINATED

PHOSPHORUS

(N,N-DIMETHYLANILINE

BIPHENYLS (AROCLORS)

POLYCYCLIC ORGANIC
MATTER

DIETHYL SULFATE

1,3-PROPANE SULFONE

QUINOLINE

3,3'DIMETHOXYBENZIDINE

BETA-PROPIOLACTONE

RADIONUCLIDES

DIMETHYL

PROPIONALDEHYDE

(INCLUDING RADON)

AMINOAZOBENZENE

PROPOXUR (BAYGON)

TITANIUM TETRACHLORIDE

3,3'DIMETHYLBENZIDINE

PROPYLENE DICHLORIDE

TOXAPHENE

DIMETHYL CARBAMOYL

(1-2-DICHLOROPROPANE)

(CHLORINATED CAMPHENE)

CHLORIDE

PROPYLENE OXIDE

STEAM

DIETHYL FORMAMIDE

1,2-PROPYLENEIMINE

AMMONIA

1,1DIMETHYILYDRAZINE

(2-METHYL AZIRIDINE)

OXYGEN

DIMETHYL PHTHALATE

QUINONE

HYDROGEN

DIMETHYL SULFATE

STYRENE

CARBON DIOXIDE

4.6-DINITRO-O-CRESOL,

STYRENE OXIDE

ARGON

AND SALTS

2,3,7,8-TETRACHLORO

NITROGEN

2.4-DINTROPHENOL

DIBENZO-P-DIOXIN

HELIUM

1,4-DINTROTOLUENE

1,1,2,2,-TETRACHLORO-

SULFURIC ACID

1,4-DIOXANE (1,4-

ETHANE

HYDROGEN CYANIDE

DIETHYLENEOXIDE)

TETRACHLOROETHYLENE

HYDROFLOURIC ACID

1,2DIPHENYLHYDRAZINE

(PERCHLOROETHYLENE)

HYDROCHLORIC ACID

EPICHLOROHYDRIN (1CHL

. TOLUENE

HYDROGEN BROMIDE

-2,3-EPOXYPROPANE)

2,4-TOLUENE DIAMINE

PHOSGENE

1,2-EPOXYBUTANE

2,4-TOLUENE DIISD-

POTASSIUM

ETHYL ACRYLATE

CYANATE

SODIUM

ETHYL BENEZENE

O-TOLUIDINE

CHLORINE

ETHYL CARBAMATE

1,24-TRI-

TRITIUM

(URETHANE)

CHLOROBENZENE

URANIUM HEXAFLOURIDE

ETHYL CHLORIDE

1,1,2-TRI-

SILANE

(CHLOROETHANE)

CHLOROETHANE

HOT OILS

ETHYL DIBROMIDE

TRICHLOROETHANE

SOUR GAS

(DIBROMOETHANE)

TRIETHYLAMINE

OIL

ETHYL DICHLORIDE

TRICHLOROETHYLENE

FREON

(1,2-DICHLOROETHANE)

2,4,5-TRICHLOROPHENOL

CAUSTIC SOLUTIONS

ETHYL GLYCOL

2,4,6-TRICHLOROPHENOL

HOT GYCOLS

ETHYL OXIDE

TRICHLOROETHYLENE

ETHYL MERCAPTAN

ETHYL THIOUREA

TRIETHYLANINE

SYNTHETIC HEAT

TRIFL

URALIN

TRANSFER FLUIDS