Your Reliable Carbon Steel Ball Valve Manufacturer

Kinvalve: A Leading Carbon Steel Ball Valve Manufacturer

Generally, a carbon steel ball valve is a lower-cost choice for your option. If your application field is not the drinking water, beer or other fields not related to the food industry.

Of course, never be acid and other corrosive media, you do not need to select the stainless steel ball valves, carton steel one is recommended for you.

And another thing you need to know is carton steel ball valve is not suitable for very high temperature (above 797 degrees F) and a very cold environment (below -22 degrees F).

High temperature (above 797degrees F) will make it rusty easily; this will shorten its lifetime and increase your cost. And very low temperature (below -22 degrees F) will make carbon steel ball valve embrittled even cracked.

Because of the nature of carbon steel and the limitation of current technology, the castings of carbon steel ball valve have some pores inside, so the thickness of the carbon steel ball valve casting is thicker than a stainless steel ball valve.

Kinvalve only provides a heavy-duty carbon steel ball valve for you to prevent the risk of leakage.

Cast carbon steel ball valve is easy to be rusty even in the air, so Kinvalve always does some special protection for carbon steel ball valves before delivering to you. Now our hero is showing up.

After assembling and leakage testing, the Ultrasonic cleaning and drying equipment help to make the body clean and dry, then the antirust oil will help you to get the nice production the same as a newborn after the long-distance transportation by sea.

If you have your own requirement, we also can spray rust preventive paint for you. At Kinvalve, there is another better choice for you, the high investment carbon steel body with phosphate coating providing high resistance to corrosion.

Antirust Painting for Carbon Steel Ball Valve

Kinvalve CS ball valves are produced under our whole process quality control. Kinvalve exclusively controls every production step of the carbon steel ball valve and provides you with high-quality products.

Since Kinvalve first involved a carbon steel ball valve, we have realized that the key to it is the quality of the casting.

We use the most advanced equipment from raw material purchase, mold preparation to the whole casting process to ensure the high performance of your carbon steel ball valve.

At Kinvalve, the cast carbon steel ball valve is the commonest carbon steel ball valve. This kind of carbon steel ball valves is ideal for chemical, oil/gas, water, steam, and general use utility services.

Kinvalve cast steel ball valve is usually used for the low and intermediate pressure application with a pressure rating up to 1000PSI.

However, when the carbon steel ball valve is used as a steam ball valve, you must consider the high-temperature affection to the pressure rating.

Kinvalve forged steel ball valve is usually available in threaded end connection. The forged ball valve is one kind of high-pressure ball valve. It is from 1/4 inch to 1 inch with a pressure rating of 2000PSI.

Kinvalve can offer you the carbon steel ball valve in different body constructions including 1 piece ball valve, two-piece ball valve as well as three-piece ball valve, and 3-way ball valve.

At Kinvalve, you also can choose the carbon steel ball valve with threaded end or flanged end, welded end is as your request.

Our carbon steel threaded ball valve is from 1/4inch to 4 inches in size, and the flanged end ball valve can be up to 12 inches in size. And the flanged ball valve is most the cast steel ball valve at Kinvalve.

When comes to welded ball valve, there are socket welded ball valve and butt weld ball valve for your option. Kinvalve weld ball valves are usually used for your most reliable tightness requirements.

As an expert carbon steel ball valve manufacturer, we of course can satisfy your specific requirement of automatic demands.

Our carbon steel can easily design to be with the ISO standard mounting pad to equip the air actuator or electric actuator.

As the two most commonly used actuated ball valves, you should make a choice by considering the power source, torque request, failure mode, speed of action required as well as the environment, cost, and the maintenance condition in the service.

If you want to simplify the problem, please contact us for help. Our experienced professional engineer team will give you hand to make the right choice according to your application request.

As a professional carbon steel manufacturer, we always regard the safe use of ball valves as important as it zero leakage.

At Kinvalve, we design the blowout-proof stem for all types of our carbon steel ball valve to prevent the stem blow out in the overpressure occasion.

Kinvalve also provides you the adjustable stem packing and O-ring backseat available to guarantee the zero leakage characteristic of our carbon steel ball valve in 2 piece and 3 piece construction.

We have been here for you since 18 years ago and we will be here ready to serve you all the time. Any questions or project demands, please contact us to get a quick quote now.

Carbon Steel Ball Valves: The Ultimate FAQ Guide

In this guide, you will find all information you need about carbon steel ball valves.

It includes maintenance process, features, safety precautions, parts, working principle, and specifications, among other vital concepts.

So, if you want to learn more about carbon steel ball valves, read this guide.

What is Carbon Steel Ball Valve?

These are ball valves that are made out of carbon steel material.

Carbon steel is different from other materials used in industrial ball valves; this is mainly attributed to their appearance.

Similar to stainless steel, carbon steel is also made from metal alloys.

There are minor variations in quality.

They do have significantly lower resistance to chemicals and melting point compared to other materials.

They have higher levels of malleability and heat distribution due to their high carbon composition.

Carbon steel ball valves can be used in completely shut or fully open roles.

This is because they are intended to use inefficient output and robust applications.

Carbon Steel Ball Valve

What are the Applications of Carbon Steel Valve?

Their features make them versatile, hence usable in a wide range of applications.

They are more robust and durable because of their carbon composition.

This makes them well suited for applications that generate high amounts of pressure.

They will not bend or break easily in such applications. Such applications are:

Hydraulics-oriented applications and processes.

Liquids with corrosive tendencies like water and other chemicals have minimal effect on carbon steel ball valves.

Carbon steel ball valves treated with paint or taken through ferromagnetic processes are corrosion resistant.

Power and chemical plant applications.

There is extensive use of carbon steel ball valves in these areas because of their leak and pressure spike prevention properties.

Additionally, carbon steel ball valves hinder the occurrences of reverse flow in such processes.

What are the Components of Carbon Steel Ball valves?

The body or shell: This component is made of carbon steel and can work under a maximum temperature range of between 400° F and 450° F.

The main purpose of this component is to keep all carbon steel ball valve units together and safe from external hazards.

The Ball: This is one of the most important components of the carbon steel ball valve.

It’s a spherical piece that has a hole at its center.

Carbon Steel Balls

The Trim: The seat, stem, sleeves, and disk parts of the carbon steel ball valves are collectively known as the trim.

They work in tandem with the actuator component to fulfill designated functions.

Trim of Carbon Steel Ball Valve

The Packing: This component is located between the stem of the carbon steel ball valve and the bonnet component.

Its main function is to prevent leaks.

It should neither be too tight nor too loose.

Proper placement of the packing ensures no damage is caused by leaks.

How do Carbon Steel Ball Valves Work?

Carbon steel ball valves work by the same principles as other ball valves.

They have a ball component that is perforated, pivoting, and hollow.

A handle is used to control flow through said ball component.

The handle’s rotation turns the ball to an axis that is perpendicular to the direction of flow thereby stopping fluid.

Simply put, the carbon steel ball valve is closed when the ball hole is pivoted at 90°.

The valve is considered open when the hole is facing a similar direction to that of flow.

How do you Maintain Carbon Steel Ball valves?

Carbon steel ball valves are the least expensive valves to maintain.

They only need regular valve cleaning and a bit of cleaning, lubrication, and checking and replacing worn parts, e.g., O rings.

The ball component has difficulty turning when there is a build-up of debris or corrosion and dried-out lubrication.

You ought to be careful not to apply excessive force on the carbon steel ball valve handle as it can break.

This can render the valve inoperable. In such instances, a replacement or repair should be done.

You also need to conduct regular inspections to check for leakages and attend to them immediately.

What are the Advantages of Carbon Steel Ball Valve?

i. The carbon steel ball valve design is very ergonomic.

This allows for easier access to the components within its body.

The components are fully protected and contained.

ii. Carbon steel ball valves have robust stems that have parallel heads. These parallels heads indicate ball position.

iii. The seal design ensures that the carbon steel ball valve is Zero Leakage.

iv. The body of the carbon steel ball valve is tightly bolted.

Bolts are secured and fully encapsulated into the body of the valve to hold everything together and in place.

v. The actuator mounting is ISO 5211 certified.

vi. The stem of the carbon steel ball valve has a 1/8” hole drilled into it.

This hole ensures that there isn’t a build-up of excess pressure when the valve is at an open position.

vii. Additional advantages are:

• Robust construction.
• Maintenance and installation of carbon steel ball valves is simple and quick
• Their stem packing is adjustable.

What are the Features of Carbon Steel Ball Valve?

The carbon steel ball valve has a protected seat design and features a floating ball.

An O ring backs the seat and the stem components.

The carbon steel ball valve has a safety lockout feature that incorporates a locking device for closed and open positions.

What Types of Carbon Steel Ball Valves are there?

The distinctive characteristic of carbon steel ball valves from other ball valves is that they are made out of different materials: Carbon steel.

Thus, there isn’t much variation from other ball valves in structure and types.

The popular types of carbon steel ball valve bodies are:

• Single body carbon steel ball valves

Unibody Carbon Steel Ball Valve

• Split Body Carbon Steel Ball Valve

Split Body Carbon Steel Ball Valve

• Welded Carbon Steel Ball Valve

Welded Carbon Steel Ball Valve

• Top Entry Carbon Steel Ball Valve

Top Entry Carbon Steel Ball Valve

• Three-Piece Carbon Steel Ball Valve

3-Piece Carbon Steel Ball Valve

These classifications are made depending on how the carbon steel ball valve components are manufactured and assembled.

All the above types operate in similar ways.

Other than the body, carbon steel ball valves can be classified in other ways, i.e.,

Full Port/Bore Carbon Steel Ball Valve: These carbon steel ball valves have large and oversized balls.

The ball hole diameter is equal to the pipeline diameter.

This reduces friction loss by ensuring that flow is not restricted.

These carbon steel ball valves are suitable for applications where free flow is required.

Reduced Bore/Port Carbon Steel Ball Valve: In this type of carbon steel ball valves, the ball component has a smaller diameter than the pipes.

V Port Carbon Steel Ball Valve: This type of carbon steel ball valve is well suitable for applications where stable flow control is required.

It allows for even percentage and linear flow since opening begins at the smaller end of the V-shaped ball.

This type of carbon steel ball valves requires very strong construction.

The controlled media has a significantly high velocity that may damage other valves.

What Temperature do Carbonate Steel Valves Work at?

The maximum temperature rating for carbon steel ball valves is 105° Celsius.

The minimum temperature rating can be lowered even further by the use of thermoplastic inserts such as RPTFE.

The range of operation is between 0° Celsius and -10° Celsius.

How do you Make Carbon Steel Ball Valve Tight?

After extended use, carbon steel ball valves may experience leakages.

They have an adjustable packing nut that you can tighten to mitigate the problem.

You should conduct regular inspections to ensure that the packing nut is not tightened past its limit.

How do Carbon Steel Ball Valves connect to Piping Systems?

The general rules of thumb for connecting carbon steel ball valves to piping systems are as follows:

• You should ensure that the handle direction is perpendicular to the pipe when in the closed position.
• You should ensure that the carbon steel ball valve is installed in a manner that works and is safe.

For example, the carbon steel ball valve sticking out may be a hazard as someone may suffer injuries by bumping into it.

• You also need to make sure that the carbon steel ball valve follows the convention of already installed valves.

This will ensure uniformity.

• Install the carbon steel ball valve so that the handle points to the direction of flow.

What are the Safety Precautions for Handling Carbon Steel Ball Valves?

Safety Precautions for handling carbon steel ball valves are:

i. Carbon steel ball valves have very high-pressure ratings. Hence, you should consider necessary safety measures.

ii. Unapproved alterations on the carbon steel ball valves might pose a considerable danger and are not recommended.

iii. The carbon steel ball valve should only be used within specified limits. These limits are on the body of the valve.

Exceeding such limits can lead to damage to the piping system, environment, or may cause severe injuries.

iv. You should use personal protective equipment like gloves and glasses when conducting maintenance procedures on the carbon steel ball valve.

Eye, whole body, and head protection go a long way in preventing injuries and keeping equipment safe.

v. When doing installation, you should ensure that the valve is in the open position.

vi. Pressurized gas and fluid may be trapped in the carbon steel ball valve’s cavity.

You should open the valve slowly and partly to ensure a safe release.

vii. You should take extra care when operating the carbon steel ball valve in extremely high or low temperatures.

viii. Avoid direct contact with the carbon steel ball valve surface depending the conditions under which it is operating.

The valve may become extremely hot or cold, thus hazardous. You should therefore use insulation such as gloves.

ix. Disassembling the actuator of the carbon steel ball valve while pressure is loaded void the warranty.

Additional features have been incorporated into the carbon steel ball valve to increase its safety, environment safety and handler safety.

These features include:

• Integral collars to ensure the valve is blow out proof
• Anti-static features to maintain electrical continuity between the body.
• Stem and ball locking device to ensure the valve do not operate accidentally.
• Pressure relief features to protect the valve cavity from damage.

Which Quality Standards Should Carbon Steel Ball Valves Conform to?

The applicable standards and codes that carbon steel ball valves must conform to are as follows:

• The valve design must be manufactured as per API-6D, ASME-B16.34, API-607, and API-608 regulations.
• The face to face dimensions of the carbon steel ball valves has to follow ANSI B16.10 regulations.
• End connection should conform to ANSI Flange: 1/2″ to 8″, API-607
• The inspection and test procedures should conform to API-6D regulations.
• Radiographic, magnetic particle, ultrasonic, and liquid penetrant examinations also need to be conducted.
• The carbon steel ball valves conform to MSS SP-72, API-607 standards, and are API-608 antistatic.

The inspection and testing should yield the following results to be indicative of the carbon steel ball valve quality standards:

• Bend and magnetic particle tests of the bonnet and body castings should be in compliance with ASTM A-216.
• The bonnet and body casting should meet ASTM E-446 requirements.
• The Brinnel hardness of materials used in the carbon steel ball valve should not be more than 225.

How do you Install Carbon Steel Ball Valves?

Before installing carbon steel ball valves, you should verify the working conditions, application temperatures, pressure ratings, and other limits.

These limits are usually described on the body of the valve.

Ensure that parts are clean and do not have accumulated burrs or dirt.

If necessary, flush the valve cavity and pipes to get rid of said burrs and dirt.

Operate the carbon steel ball valves before installation.

Two complete cycles are recommended.

A carbon steel ball valve can be installed to control flow in either opposite direction.

For carbon steel ball valves with flanges ends:

i. You should check for dimensional compatibility on companion flanges with valve flanges. Clean the sealing to get rid of dirt and grease.

ii. Use a suitable gasket.

iii. Use nuts and bolts that comply with the appropriate comparison standards to connect the flanges.

iv. Tighten the flange bolts as per regulations provided by gasket manufacturers, i.e., neither too tight nor too loose.

v. Conduct operational tests and leak tests after installation.

For carbon steel ball valves with threaded ends:

i. Verify specifications for threads and pipe.

ii. The male end of the joint should use a joint compound.

iii. Apply force using a wrench on the hexagon end of the carbon steel ball valve.

iv. Once again, conduct operational tests and leak tests after installation.

Additionally, you need to install the carbon steel ball valve in a manner that prevents extensive stress in any direction.

Finally, conduct operation tests and leak tests before putting the carbon steel ball valve to use.

What are the Pressure Ratings for Carbon Steel Ball Valves?

Carbon steel ball valve pressure ratings vary depending on the body types.

Three-piece carbon steel ball valves can handle pressure as high as 1000 psi 69 bar.

Whilst one-piece carbon steel ball valves can contain pressure ratings of up to 2000 psi 138 bar.

Split body carbon steel ball valves are at the lower end of the spectrum as they only have pressure ratings of 740 psi 51 bar.

What are the Challenges of using Carbon Steel Ball Valves?

Carbon steel ball valves cannot be used to regulate all types of fluids.

Some can leave behind particles that may jam the carbon steel ball valve.

Thus causing damage to the carbon steel ball valve.

Carbon steel ball valves do not offer as much resistance to corrosion as other materials used to manufacture ball valves.

This problem is easy to solve.

You can protect the surface of the carbon steel ball valve by simply using paint.

Carbon steel ball valves are unusable in applications where you would desire to separate incompatible fluids or safety loops.

With carbon steel ball valves, you need to conduct auxiliary processes to retard the rusting process when the valve is not in use.

Such processes include Ferro magnetization.

What Determines the Carbon Steel Ball Valves Price?

Connection type.

Carbon steel ball valves are connected to pipelines in many ways.

Most common carbon steel ball valves are either connected by screwing or flanged connections design.

The prices of carbon steel ball valves will differ from type to type.

Body type. Carbon steel ball valve bodies come in five different variations.

Among them, single body, split body, and three-piece body carbon steel ball valves.

Each is well suited for its intended application.

They also have different temperature and pressure ratings.

What is the Lifespan of Carbon Steel Valve?

Like all other ball valves, carbon steel ball valves wear out over time.

Extended use causes the components to lose their functionality.

However, given the material used on carbon steel ball valves, long life and strength are guaranteed.

Carbon steel ball valves can last for at least 100,000 cycles.

Afterward they can start to experience problems like leakages.

How does Carbon Steel Valve compare to Stainless Steel Valve?

Carbon steel ball valves are very hard.

This distinctive feature makes them more resilient than stainless steel ball valves.

They won’t take as much damage as steel, thus are not prone to problems like leakages.

Carbon steel ball valves are more versatile.

They are functional in a very wide temperature and pressure range.

This ensures long life cycles.

Carbon steel ball valves are made of iron and carbon mixture.

The mixture is very resistant to corrosion and gives it an edge over stainless steel.

Carbon steel ball valves are made from ferromagnetic material.

This means that they are less likely to rust compared to stainless steel ball valves, therefore improving the life cycle.

Carbon steel ball valves are well suited for applications that involve extreme pressure and temperatures.

stainless steel valve

What inspections and Tests can you conduct on Carbon Steel Ball Valves?

Low pressure and high-pressure closure tests are conducted on all carbon steel ball valves.

These tests should be in compliance with the recommended ANSI and API standards.

Carbon steel ball valves with pressure ratings of ASME Class 1500 and larger ones with pressure ratings of at most ASTM 600 are tested for shell pressure and temperature ratings.

Visual inspections are conducted on all carbon steel ball valves to verify that all castings.

For example, bonnets and bodies are inspected to ensure that they conform to the MSS SP-55 regulations.

All inspections are performed according to procedures that are in conformance with applicable standards.

Afterward, all the carbon steel ball valves are certified for compliance as required.

Are Carbon Steel Ball Valves ATEX Certified?

Some of the carbon steel ball valves are ATEX certified.

ATEX certification means that the carbon steel ball valve has been inspected and tested as per regulations provided by ATEX.

ATEX-certified carbon steel ball valves are specifically manufactured for use in hazardous environments.

ATEX (Atmospheres Explosible) provides relevant approvals and norms against which the carbon steel ball valves are tested.

Carbon steel ball valves in this section are tested as per API 607 regulations.

Additionally, they are CE PED/97/23/EC- C III and ATEX 3 GD 94/9/EC approved.

How does Carbon Steel Ball Valve compare to Gate Valve?

Carbon steel ball valves are well suited for applications that involve liquids and gases because they provide firm seals.

Gate valves, on the other hand, are best suited for applications that involve viscous liquids, e.g., oil.

This is because they are highly likely to have leakages than carbon steel ball valves.

Carbon steel ball valves are often manually controlled and considerably smaller in size than gate valves.

Carbon steel ball valves are well suited for active media flow control.

Whereas, gate valves are better suited for high temperatures and pressure.

Gate valves are also suitable for fluctuating temperature and pressure applications.

Carbon steel ball valves are pricier than gate valves.

But they offer efficient operation and are worth the buck.

gate valve

As you can see, there are many factors you should consider when choosing a carbon steel ball valve.

At Kinvalve, we will help you find the best carbon steel ball valve for all your applications.

We also support OEM businesses.

Contact us today for all your carbon steel ball valves.