High Purity Process Piping: Addition of Chapter X High Purity Piping to the ASME B31.3 Process Piping Code

Abstract

The 2010 Edition of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) B31.3 Procecess Piping Code [1] includes a new chapter: Chapter X High Purity Piping. Chapter X covers industries listed in the scope of ASME B31.3 which use methods of fabrication, examination, inspection and testing different than other industries covered by the Code. Industries which have a need for cleanness and cleanability on a more demanding level, such as the semiconductor industry, which uses Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) Standards [2–4], and the pharmaceutical and bioprocessing industries, which use the ASME Bioprocessing Equipment (BPE) Standard [5], also reference ASME B31.3 for safety requirements. ASME B31.3 now addresses issues common to the semiconductor and biopharmaceutical industries. The new High Purity Fluid Service defined in Chapter X permits weld coupon examination in lieu of the 5% radiography required in Normal Fluid Service when orbital welding is used in fabrication. Industries that may not otherwise be considered as high purity, such as refineries, the chemical processing industry [6–7], solar panel fabrication and nuclear or petrochemical applications that could use tubing rather than pipe, may benefit from the fabrication technology introduced in Chapter X while meeting the safety requirements of the Code.