Carbon Steel Check Valves: Applications and Benefits in Flow Systems
Check valves are also called one-way valves because they allow fluid flow in one direction only. To achieve a one-way flow, check valves are manufactured following different design approaches. A number of this valve types are either designed to have a ball that pushes against a spring or a flapper that is anchored to one side. Check valve uses are not limited to one industry, but they are usually incorporated in different kind of pumping or piping systems. There are different check valve classifications depending on their control, specific usage, and composition. When it comes to composition, one of the most common materials used in making check valves is carbon steel. Carbon steel check valves can be utilized in a variety of industrial applications because of their impressive characteristics.
Check valves that are made of carbon steel instead of stainless steel typically have a greater amount of carbon materials in them. Studies and industry tests suggest that a greater amount of carbon material makes a valve device stronger and more durable. Thus, this kind of check valves are very much ideal in systems when tremendous amounts of pressure are generated, as they do not easily bend or break in such situation. Carbon steel check valves can easily facilitate the flow of water, steam, hydrocarbon, and petrochemicals.
Check valves made of carbon steel are very effective in hydraulic based processes and applications, because carbon steel is resilient to the corrosive tendencies of water and other liquids. Chemical and power plants also make use of carbon steel check valves quite extensively. This particular check valve type can prevent leaks and pressure spikes from a return line, as well as and hinder reverse flow to occur through a hydraulic motor. In addition, check valve’s natural design makes it easy to maintain. Because check valves made of carbon steel are regularly needed in various industries, a number of manufacturers create special tools to maintain the efficiency of such valves.
There are a wide range of check valve carbon steel models available in the market today, because check valves can be designed to fit specific applications. Thus, it is important for businesses to take the time to study the specifications of check valve products to determine which ones can meet certain expectations. Some of the typical carbon steel check valves that are consistently in demand across industries are swing check, lift-check stop check, line-check, diaphragm check and ball check. The right form of check valves to use for businesses heavily depends on their intended applications. In some cases, clients can ask manufacturers to build check valves according to specific design requirements.
On the scale of check valve compositions, the ones made of carbon are a step lower than valves made from chrome alloy steel. This is because chrome alloy contains chromium and molybdenum, which make a device more tolerable to the combination of extreme pressure and temperature, as well as resistant to oxidation and scaling. However, there is no doubt that carbon steel check valves still offer many advantages and are generally not as pricey as their full aluminum counterparts.