Fire prevention issues related to packing in ball valves used in the chemical industry
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Sir, the design institute now requires that all soft-seat ball valves on pipelines carrying flammable liquids must have a fire-resistant structure. This means that the filler can only be graphite. I would like to ask everyone: can’t ball valves with PTFE fillers be used in pipelines for flammable liquids?
In accordance with current safety standards and regulations, it is indeed recommended to use valves with fire-resistant properties for pipelines carrying flammable liquids, in order to ensure effective control of the flow of the fluid in case of a fire, thereby preventing the spread of flames and more severe disasters. As a common material for valve seats, PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) possesses excellent chemical stability and low friction properties, but its fire resistance is inferior to that of graphite. Graphite fillers are recommended for use in pipelines carrying flammable liquids due to their temperature resistance and self-lubricating properties, which allow them to maintain a certain level of sealing performance even under high-temperature fire conditions. Although ball valves filled with PTFE perform well in many applications, their fire resistance characteristics are not sufficient to meet the fire protection requirements for pipelines carrying flammable liquids as specified by design agencies. Therefore, to ensure safety, it is advisable to choose ball valves that meet fire-resistant structural standards; such valves typically use graphite as the packing material. .