Behind every sector’s development, there is modern technology. In the 21st century, it is well known that the era has changed and we are all surrounded by machines and devices that ease our lives. The Valves are also machinery equipment that eases work in the industry and work areas. Here we are going to discuss the Lined Ball Valve.
Engineers have designed and developed many industrial and non-industrial ball valves. But they have faced a lot of challenges to design the industrial ball valves. With a few mandatory terms like sustainable minimum pressure and bearable temperature. Some valves become rusty as they using for corrosive chemicals. So it is necessary to make them from rust-proof materials etc.
Ball Valve Types
Ball Valves can be sorted into various categories. On the basis of their performance, pressure sustaining capacity, heat sustaining capacity, etc.
Here we define them as per their casting materials
Engineers have designed many ball valves from specific casting materials and mixtures of two or more metals to achieve determined properties. There are many casting materials available but they are majorly known as metallic casting materials and non-metallic casting materials. As the names define, metallic casting materials are pure metals or a mixture of two or more metals, and non-metallic casting materials are which can not be use for wiring and weapons like, wood, plastic. Iron and Copper are the most utilized in metallic casting materials like cast iron, carbon steel, alloy steel, copper alloy, light-alloy, etc. Whereas in non-metallic, PTFE, PFA, and FEP are use. All metals have a point limit of sustaining pressure and temperature and to go beyond the limits, engineers use plastic-based materials and these kinds of valves known as FEP and PFA Lined Ball Valve.
FEP Ball Valve
FEP, the Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene is a melt-processable version of PTFE. This can be extruded and vacuum formed. The FEP has the same chemical binding and properties as that of PTFE. It can work under the temperature range of -200°C to 204°C.
PFA Ball Valve
A PFA material has all the specialties as of FEP and in addition to those, it can sustain a constant temperature up to 250°C. The PFA lining materials can be locked to the valve body and plugged using cast-in dovetail recesses and machined grooves.
PFA has special properties like its chemical inertness and its rejection of air moisture thus making it a perfect material for valves that control corrosive fluids and chemicals. PFA is 100 times more flexible than FEP and so it can sustain high-pressure media like pressurized compressed air, steam, and also seawater.
Hence, we have learned how FEP and PFA materials are so useful because of their special properties. These materials are sure to take the place of all metallic materials and perform more accurately as metallic materials. In the current market, there are a few manufacturers making valves from PTFE, FEP, and PFA materials. Aira Euro Automation is one of them and they are the leading ball valve manufacturer in India that has a huge range of industrial valves in export quality.
Why deny metallic Ball Vall?
As we all are aware that metal is more stronger and trustworthy in comparison to Plastic based materials. However these metals have some limitations as we discussed above like metallic equipment corrosive fastly, and when metals come in contact with acid, it starts reacting so fast, in this reaction Hydrogen gas releases with alkaline molecules. It may be dangerous for the factory and may cause valves to become leaky and increase maintenance. So we can say that to control the acidic fluid we can’t use metallic equipment in any manner. There we need those plastic-based materials to control this type of application.
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Features of high and low pressure compressors
We can’t completely neglect the use of metallic ball valves. Because many features of metals are still unbeatable. The metal ball valves can sustain more pressure than FEP or PFA lined Ball Valves. Metals have very high-temperature resistance in comparison to polymer materials.
We have to choose wisely according to our needs and their properties, we know metallic Ball Valves are traditional ball valves and we have used them for decades. But now we have another option so we don’t have to stuck with already knowing problems.
