1. Pressure class division
The pressure handling capacity of ball valves is usually matched with the pressure class of piping system, which is mainly divided into the following three categories:
Low pressure (Class 150-300): for pressure ≤ 2.5 MPa scenarios, such as ordinary water treatment, low-pressure gas delivery system.
Medium pressure (Class 600-900): Pressure range 2.5-6.4 MPa, commonly used in petrochemical, chemical and other medium pressure fluid control.
High pressure (Class 1500 and above): Pressure > 6.4 MPa, used in oil and gas long-distance pipelines, high-pressure steam systems, etc.
2. Material and performance correlation
The pressure capacity of a ball valve is directly related to its material:
Carbon steel (such as L245): yield strength ≥ 245 MPa, tensile strength ≥ 415 MPa, for low and medium pressure scenes (≤ 6.4 MPa).
Alloy steel (e.g. X60/X70): yield strength ≥415-485 MPa, can meet the high pressure demand (>10 MPa).
3. Suggestions for selection
Industrial pipelines: Class 150-300 ball valves are preferred for low-pressure scenarios, and Class 600-900 for medium-pressure scenarios.
High-pressure long-distance pipeline: need to match Class 1500 and above, and the use of high-strength alloy steel material.
Summary: The pressure handling range of ball valves covers 0.1-42 MPa (graded by different standards), the specific selection needs to be combined with the system pressure, media characteristics and material strength comprehensive assessment.
