As metal is exposed to certain chemicals and substances, it can erode, rust, and eventually crumble. When factories in the chemical industry select valves, this is a primary consideration. While function is necessary, a capacity to resist exposure to certain substances is equally important.
What types of valves work best in the chemical industry, both functionally and durably?
Although most valves aren’t industry-specific, save for a few exceptions, you’ll often find plugs, gates, balls, and other iterations that are somewhat similar. Despite the necessity of durability in the field, it is not a determining factor in itself. The reason for this is that, even in the food industry, cleaning requires resistance to caustic chemicals, like chlorine.
Therefore, it’s somewhat easy to narrow down the options for valves that work perfectly in the chemical industry. Here are the ones that fit, and a description of why and how they work.
Ball Valves
The purpose of ball valves is to control the flow and pressure of the fluid. One of their most useful features is that they are leak-proof. Therefore, these valves are fantastic for the chemical industry when liquids are involved. Structure-wise, they consist of rotating ported spheres, or balls with holes, that shift in order to block or permit flow.
Most commonly, they are used in systems that control air flow from compressed air lines to high-pressure hydraulic systems. It isn’t just their fantastic functionality that makes them popular. They are cost-effective, compact, easy to use, and require very little maintenance.
Also, read A Guide To Making The Right Choice Of Industrial Ball Valves
Plug Valves
The design of plug valves is similar to that of ball valves. Quarter-turn valves control the flow of fluid through pipes. Through a ported plug that swivels into the stream, the liquid is allowed or constrained. Flow regulators are typically used to shut off or permit a material’s passage, although they can also function, to a lesser extent, as a flow control device.
Plug valves and lubricated plug valves should be distinguished. It involves lubrication between the plug and valve, as its name suggests. In contrast, unlubricated alternatives use a polymer sleeve for friction relief and sealing.
Gate Valves
A gate valve is primarily used as a shut-off valve. The result is that they are excellent at preventing all liquid flow. Despite being possible, throttling with a gate valve isn’t recommended. The disc could be damaged and, over time, possibly permanently damaged, rendering the valve useless.
The top handle of a gate valve is used to twist the plate barrier that enters and retreats from a stream of liquid. Parallel plates and wedge-shaped plugs are alternatives. Wedge valves offer additional variety and are a great choice for a variety of applications.
Chemical plants that handle liquids most often benefit from these technologies. However, gate valves can also be used for gases and solids, to some extent. There are two primary groups of them as well. The two types of stems are rising stems and non-rising stems. In the former, visibility is enhanced, whereas, in the latter, corrosion is prevented.
Check Valves
Check valves are two-port valves with two openings that allow fluid to flow in one direction and prevent it from reversing. They are used in a variety of industries but are also quite prevalent in the chemical industry. It is interesting to note that they do not have a handle or stem. They don’t require manual handling since they work automatically.
There are three types of them. Check valves come in three types: swing check valves, piston check valves, and lift check valves. Fluids moving at slow speeds are best suited to the first. The second type, composed of a disc, a piston, or a ball, is designed for smaller pipes with frequent and significant pressure drops. Lastly, there is a stem-operated version that is designed to withstand high temperatures, pressure levels, and highly corrosive substances.
Cracking, reseal, and back pressure are constants between different forms. Their consistency lies in their ability to withstand high levels of pressure. This refers to the minimum differential between the inlet and outlet of the valve, the pressure present when the valve is closed, and the pressure at the outlet that is higher than the inlet pressure.
Aira Valves
In various industries, including the chemical industry, Aira Valves offer alternatives to common designs. There are three types of valves: process valves, bulk material valves, and diverter valves. Chemical and petrochemical plants use them.
The repetitive movement of parts in the same place causes wear and tear in chemical plants. In turn, leaks and weakened seals result. Aira Valves are built specifically to solve this issue.
Self-lapping rotating discs are involved. The fact that there are more moving parts, in this case, isn’t a negative, in fact, it’s quite the contrary. Rather than repeating and identical movements, they rotate incrementally. Additionally, they polish and renovate the interior surfaces. The result? A low leak rate, consistent seal quality, and exceptional durability ensure maximum profits over the life cycle of the product. Chemical industry valves are excellent because of this, as well as their high resistance to caustic substances.
Finding the Right Types of Valves
There are many types of valves used in the chemical industry, as you can see. Even though they share a few features, each is designed to perform a specific function and process. A difference in material composition and design can make some iterations more efficient in general, as well as for specific tasks in particular.
It is necessary for these chemical valves to be able to withstand high pressure, caustic chemicals, and repetitive function. Different iterations, like the different Aira Valves, change the primary function and result in more efficient valves.
Aira Euro Automation is a leading valve supplier in Ghana. We have a wide range of industrial valves, we also export our product to more than 30 countries around the world.