Material Guide for American Standard Three-way Ball Valves: Selection of 304/316 Stainless Steel, Alloy Steel And ASTM Standard Certification

I. 304 Stainless Steel

· Chemical Composition: It mainly contains elements such as chromium (Cr) and nickel (Ni). Its new grade is 06Cr19Ni10, containing approximately 18% - 20% of Cr and 8% - 10.5% of Ni.

· Performance Characteristics: It has good corrosion resistance and can resist the erosion of the atmosphere, water and some weakly corrosive media. Meanwhile, it has relatively good mechanical properties and processing properties, and can be made into various shaped parts through cold working or hot working.

· Application Scenarios: It is commonly used in general industrial pipeline systems, such as water supply and drainage systems, air conditioning systems and some chemical processes where the requirements for corrosion resistance are not particularly high.

II. 316 Stainless Steel

· Chemical Composition: It belongs to the type of molybdenum (Mo)-containing stainless steel. Its new grade is 06Cr17Ni12Mo2. Besides containing Cr and Ni elements similar to those of 304 stainless steel, it also contains 2% - 3% of Mo.

· Performance Characteristics: Due to the addition of the molybdenum element, its corrosion resistance to various inorganic acids, organic acids, alkalis and salts is stronger, especially outstanding in pitting corrosion resistance. It also has good creep strength at high temperatures.

· Application Scenarios: It is widely used in fields with relatively high requirements for corrosion resistance, such as seawater environments, the chemical industry and the paper industry. For example, seawater desalination equipment, chemical drug production equipment and cooking equipment in paper mills.

III. Alloy Steel

· Chemical Composition: Common alloy steel valve materials such as WC6 or WC9 belong to chromium-molybdenum steel and contain alloy elements such as chromium (Cr) and molybdenum (Mo).

· Performance Characteristics: It has relatively good strength and high-temperature oxidation resistance at high temperatures, and also has a certain ability to resist sulfide and hydrogen corrosion.

· Application Scenarios: It is often used in high-temperature and high-pressure environments in industries such as petrochemical and electric power, such as hydrogenation units and high-temperature steam pipelines.

To compare these three materials more intuitively, here is a table:

IV. ASTM Standard Certification
The ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) has formulated a series of standards related to metal materials and alloy materials, which have an important impact on the material selection and performance requirements of American standard THREE-WAY BALL VALVES.

· ASTM A240: This standard stipulates the technical requirements for chromium and chromium-nickel stainless steel plates, sheets and strips for pressure vessels and general purposes. The plates and sheets of 304 stainless steel and 316 stainless steel usually need to comply with this standard to ensure that their chemical compositions, mechanical properties and other aspects meet the relevant requirements.

· ASTM A182: It is applicable to alloy steel and stainless steel flanges, forged pipe fittings, valves and parts that are forged or rolled for high-temperature use. If alloy steel or stainless steel forged parts, such as valve bodies and balls, are used in American standard THREE-WAY BALL VALVES, they usually need to follow the ASTM A182 standard to ensure the performance and quality in high-temperature environments.

When selecting American standard three-way ball valves, it is necessary not only to reasonably select 304 stainless steel, 316 stainless steel or alloy steel materials according to specific working condition requirements, but also to ensure that the selected materials meet the corresponding ASTM standard certification. Only in this way can the ball valves operate reliably in complex industrial environments, extend their service lives and reduce maintenance costs.