WCB ball valve is an industrial ball valve with WCB cast carbon steel as the core material of the valve body. Its name is directly derived from the material code (Weldable Casting B) in the ASTM A216 standard. The following are its key characteristics and technical points:
1. Core material characteristics
Composition and performance:
Low carbon steel (C≤0.3%, Mn≤1.0%), containing silicon, phosphorus, sulfur and other elements;
Mechanical strength: tensile strength ≥485MPa;
Temperature range: -29℃～425℃ (up to 454℃ for a short time).
Process advantages:
The casting process improves design flexibility and is suitable for complex valve body structures;
The cost is lower than forged steel (such as A105), but it should be selected with caution in high-pressure scenarios.
2. Structural characteristics
| Design Type | Applicable scenarios | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Floating ball valve | DN≤200mm, medium and low pressure pipelines | The medium pressure pushes the ball to press the valve seat, which is a two-way seal. |
| Trunnion Ball Valve | DN＞200mm, high pressure working condition | The upper and lower rotating shafts of the ball are fixed to reduce valve seat wear |
Sealing system:
Soft seal: PTFE/RPTFE valve seat (corrosion resistant, Class VI seal);
Hard seal: Metal valve seat (fireproof design, in line with API 607 standard).
Safety extension:
Anti-static device (guides away the friction charge of the ball);
Valve stem anti-flying structure (ISO 5211 standard).
3. Typical application areas
Energy industry:
Oil/natural gas pipeline cutoff (such as refineries, LNG storage and transportation);
Steam system (≤425℃ saturated steam).
Chemical process:
Weakly corrosive media (water, oil products);
Sulfur-containing natural gas (needs to be matched with anti-corrosion valve seat).
Municipal engineering:
Urban heating pipeline network, gas pressure regulating station.
Prohibited scenarios: Strong acid (such as hydrochloric acid), ultra-low temperature (＜-29℃) or ultra-high pressure (PN＞64) working conditions.
