Encyclopedia of Ceramic Ball Valve - Origin and Development (1) Advocate of Ceramic Ball Valve

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Encyclopedia of Ceramic Ball Valve - Origin and Development (1) Advocates of Ceramic Valve 1. The Birth of Ceramic Ball Valve With the development of industrial technology, traditional metal ball valves have gradually exposed defects such as easy corrosion, easy wear, and poor sealing performance under harsh working conditions such as high temperature, strong corrosion, and high wear. It is difficult to meet the stringent requirements for fluid control in special industries such as chemical industry, metallurgy, and electric power. This pain point gave birth to a new type of valve with high-performance ceramics as the core material-ceramic ball valve. 1. Early exploration and technological budding (1940s-1960s) The industrial revolution promoted the rapid development of coal, chemical, metallurgy and other industries, and the demand for fluid control surged. However, traditional metal valves frequently suffer from problems such as perforation and leakage in media containing solid particles or in environments with strong acid and alkali, resulting in high maintenance costs and potential safety hazards. Ceramic materials have been widely used in military and aerospace fields since World War II due to their high hardness, high strength, excellent wear resistance and chemical stability. With the advancement of technology, its application has gradually expanded to civil industry, laying a material foundation for the research and development of ceramic ball valves. In the 1940s, German and American engineers took the lead in trying to use alumina ceramics for valve core manufacturing, opening the way to explore ceramic ball valves. However, due to the processing technology at that time, the ceramic body had uneven density and insufficient toughness, and was prone to cracking under fluid impact. ； At the same time, the problem of sealing cooperation between ceramic and metal valve seats could not be solved, leakage was serious, and related research was stalled for a time. Entering the 1960s, material science made breakthroughs: Isostatic pressing technology makes the density of the ceramic body more uniform, and the hardness after high-temperature sintering can reach more than HRC75 ； The successful development of zirconia and silicon nitride ceramics has significantly improved the toughness of ceramics, breaking the inherent perception that "ceramics are fragile". During the same period, Japanese companies integrated precision ceramic processing technology and ball valve structural design to solve the problems of valve core positioning accuracy and sealing compensation, laying the foundation for the industrial application of ceramic ball valves. 2. Commercialization start and technical verification (1970s-1980s) In January 1975, Japan's Fujikin Company invented the first plug-type ceramic plug valve, which was made of 99.5% alumina ceramics and became a representative achievement of early ceramic valves. It was serialized and mass-produced in 1981, and won awards in Japan and the United States the following year. ； Successfully used in the semiconductor industry to meet the stringent requirements of high purity and no metal ion contamination (Note: This product is a ceramic stop valve, which has low requirements on ceramic toughness). It should be pointed out that this product is a special valve type. The valve form is called "Single-Seated Valve (Single-Seated Valve) or precision needle valve" in literature, and it has low material toughness requirements. The true ceramic ball valve has higher requirements for the bending strength of ceramics. The exact date of its birth that can be found is the "First Ceramic-lined Ball Valve (1980)." published in the US Nil-Cor data in 1980. The earliest actual application case was in 1985. By the mid-to-late 1980s, European engineers discovered that engineering ceramics such as alumina (Al₂O₃) and zirconia (ZrO₂) had great advantages in corrosion resistance and hardness, and were especially suitable for heavy industrial scenarios such as chemical industry, metallurgy, and thermal power. Through zirconia phase change toughening technology, the first generation of "tough ceramics" came out, completely solving the problem of core strength. ； At the same time, new grinding and polishing technology achieves mirror-level precision and perfect roundness of the ball and valve seat. At this point, the technical feasibility of ceramic ball valves has been fully verified, and the conditions for industrialization are basically mature. 2. Development of ceramic ball valves 1. Key technological breakthroughs (1990s) In response to the "brittleness" problem of ceramics, scientific researchers have significantly improved the toughness and strength of materials by adding special additives, optimizing the sintering process, and introducing nanotechnology. The microstructure is more uniform, internal defects are reduced, and reliability is greatly improved. In terms of manufacturing process, the application of CNC grinding technology allows the dimensional accuracy and surface roughness of the ball core and valve seat to be precisely controlled. Relying on the self-lubricating properties of ceramics, the two work closely together and have excellent sealing performance. The leakage rate can be controlled below 10⁻⁶ Pa·m³/s, which is far superior to traditional metal valves. 2. Global industrialization process (late 1980s to early 1990s) This period is a key turning point for ceramic ball valves from the laboratory to industrial applications. The upgrading of global heavy industry has an urgent need for corrosion-resistant and wear-resistant valves, and ceramic materials are rapidly gaining recognition due to their comprehensive performance advantages. • Material breakthrough: Japan's Sumitomo Chemical significantly improves toughness by adding yttria to stabilize zirconia ； Corning Corporation of the United States optimizes the powder ball milling and molding process to achieve a valve core dimensional accuracy of ±0.01 mm. • Increased lifespan: The service life of ceramic sealing pairs is 5-10 times longer than that of metal parts, significantly reducing maintenance costs. • Standard establishment: In 1992, the American Petroleum Institute (API) included technical requirements for ceramic sealing pairs for the first time in the "API 6D - Pipeline Valves" standard to promote industry standardization. The regional development pattern has initially taken shape.: • USA: The first attempt to industrialize ceramic ball valves. In 1985, Nil-Cor of the United States used ceramic ball valves to control highly corrosive acidic liquids at Chemlink Petroleum Inc. in Oklahoma, solving the problem of frequent failure of fiberglass valves. ； In 1988, the American company Durco, in conjunction with the local Ceramic Research Institute, launched the first ceramic sealed ball valve suitable for the chemical industry. It used a zirconia ceramic valve core and valve seat, and was successfully used in the hydrochloric acid delivery system of Dow Chemical's Freeport factory. It solved the problem of metal valves failing in 3 months and extended their service life to more than 2 years. ； Although the first ceramic ball valve appeared, it may have a rough appearance and unstable performance, but it successfully proved: Under certain working conditions, the service life of ceramic ball valves far exceeds that of any metal valves. In 1990, JCDecaux launched a wear-resistant ceramic ball valve for mine tailings transportation, using ZTA ceramic valve core and lining. In the slurry transportation system of a copper mine in Colorado, the service life of the valve was increased from one month for metal valves to 18 months, significantly reducing the mine's shutdown and maintenance costs. • Europe: Focusing on customized research and development for heavy-duty scenarios, in 1987, Neles of Finland developed a ceramic ball valve using magnesia-stabilized zirconia (Mg-PSZ) ceramic material to solve the problem of frequent leaks of the pressure relief valve of the digester in the pulping process of a paper mill, which resulted in reduced production efficiency and high maintenance costs. The service life of the original metal valve was extended from 3 to 6 months to 2 to 5 years, and the maintenance frequency was reduced by 75%. ； At the same time, in high-fiber pulp and media containing abrasive particles, the service life is 3-10 times that of ordinary metal valves, significantly reducing downtime maintenance and showing excellent performance in the papermaking industry. ； During the same period, the British company Morgan Advanced Materials transferred ceramic coating technology from the aerospace field to the valve field and developed a ceramic-metal composite valve stem structure, which effectively solved the problem of valve stem sealing under high temperature conditions. In 1996, German Cera-system ceramic ball valves were used for the first time in the PCI (coal injection) system of a steel company to control the transportation of pulverized coal in the blast furnace coal injection pipeline. In the PCI system, pulverized coal is transported to the blast furnace through high-pressure gas. Traditional metal valves have a short life under such high wear and high erosion conditions and need to be replaced frequently, which affects production efficiency. With its excellent wear resistance and corrosion resistance, Cera-system ceramic valves extend the service life of equipment nearly 6 times and reduce maintenance frequency by more than 60%. • Japan: Relying on the advantages of the ceramic industry, we will follow the integrated development path of "materials and valves". In 1987, Japan's Fujikin Company launched a ball valve product with zirconia ceramics as the core. Relying on Japan's precision processing advantages in the field of electronic ceramics, its products achieved zero-pollution sealing in semiconductor ultrapure water delivery systems and quickly occupied the global high-end electronic chemical market. • China: Based on simple ideals and independent research and development, in 1991, Mr. Li Gang, a postdoctoral fellow at Tianjin University, joined CSG Group with his creativity and technology of zirconia ceramic ball valves. For this purpose, Shenzhen CSG Structural Ceramics Co., Ltd. was specially established, and Li Gang became the first general manager. With the success of CSG Structural Ceramics in industrializing zirconia ceramics, it has also become the "Whampoa Military Academy" of Chinese zirconia ceramics. In June 1992, Mr. Jin Haojun joined CSG Structural Ceramics Company as a product engineer. In September of the same year, he designed and developed China's first ceramic ball valve, which passed the certification in 1993. * * Tested and successfully applied in chlor-alkali, printing and dyeing industries, marking the official launch of domestic ceramic ball valves. At this stage, the deep integration of "material revolution" and "equipment upgrade" not only solves the common problems of industrial valves, but also lays the technology, standards and market foundation for the large-scale development of global ceramic valves in the 21st century. 3. The rise of China’s power (from the end of the 20th century to the 2010s). At this time, the technology and market focus of global ceramic ball valves began to shift from Europe, the United States, and Japan to China. This process is not a simple industrial takeover, but driven by the continuous independent innovation of Chinese enterprises, ultimately achieving a role transformation from a pursuer to a pioneer in multi-field applications. • In 1993, China's first universal zirconia ceramic ball valve produced by Shenzhen CSG was successfully used in chlor-alkali projects such as Baling Petrochemical and Qilu Petrochemical, and obtained the patent certificate for ceramic ball valves. • In September 1993, the scientific and technological achievements appraisal organized by the Shenzhen Municipal Science and Technology Bureau was attended by famous domestic valve and material experts. The expert judges unanimously spoke highly of the ceramic ball valve product. The appraisal result was "the first in China, reaching the advanced level of similar foreign products, and a valve worthy of promotion and use." ” • In October 1993, with the successful application of the first set of ceramic ball valves, Shenzhen CSG immediately carried out serial design and production, and also launched vigorous market promotion. • In May 1995, ceramic ball valves were * * Science and Technology Commission, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Ministry of Labor, * * The Bureau of Foreign Experts Affairs and the Bureau of Technical Supervision jointly rated it as the 1995“ * * new product”. CSG's exploration and practice in the 1990s not only overcame the primary problems of materials and manufacturing, but also sowed key seeds for China's ceramic valve industry, proving the feasibility of localization. • Mr. Wang Chen, engineer of Tianjin Dagang Power Plant, noticed in practice that the valves used in the ash and slag removal workshops are seriously worn and usually only need to be replaced after 4 to 6 months of use. In order to solve this problem, he founded Shengkai Company in June 1994 and personally led the team to engage in the research and development of ceramic gate valves, specifically developing targeted valve products for high-wear and harsh working conditions such as thermal power generation, metallurgy, and chemical industry. From 1999 to 2002, its R&D achievements were awarded the award for four consecutive years. * * level key new products, and related projects have been selected one after another * * Torch Program and "863" Program. In 2000, the company passed DNV ISO9001 quality system certification ； In 2001, it was recognized as a high-tech enterprise in Tianjin. Tianjin Shengkai is the originator of true ceramic gate valves and the earliest master of ceramic valves. It is also the first manufacturer to apply alumina ceramics to gate valves. The product life is 10-20 times longer than that of ordinary metal valves, solving the long-standing problem of valve wear in the industrial field. After being listed on the NASDAQ in the United States in 2010, it began to produce ceramic ball valves. • In November 1995, Mr. Zhang Zhongqiao, a Wenzhou native, established Wenzhou Zhongli Valve Co., Ltd. He purchased ceramic structural parts from CSG and entered into the R&D and production of ceramic ball valves. The early focus was on the highly corrosive chemical industry, and he accumulated valuable experience in replacing precious metal valves with ceramic ball valves. • In 1996, Fuxin Chemical Plant fully used ceramic ball valves from Shenzhen CSG in a new project for the first time, becoming the largest application case of ceramic ball valves in the 1990s. • In June 1998, Jin Haojun, the former core engineer of CSG, founded Yantai Jintai Meilin with like-minded people, taking over the baton of domestic ceramic ball valves. He optimized the product structure, improved versatility, and successfully expanded the application fields from flue gas desulfurization, coal injection in steel plants, and molten iron pretreatment to coal chemical industry, silicon chemical industry, salt chemical industry, chemical products, metallurgical lithium battery and other industries. Above, we have reviewed the process of ceramic ball valves from the global technology sprout to taking root and initial development in China. Next, we will focus on how China's ceramic ball valves can achieve counterattack and transcendence in the global industrial wave of the 21st century through continuous technological research and market penetration. Please stay tuned!