Application Analysis of Silicon Chemical Wear-Resistant Valves

I. On-site Application Conditions Introduction

On-site conditions; The tank discharge medium is silicon powder, with a switching frequency of 16-20 times per hour, a relatively high frequency, and a relatively high medium hardness.

On-site operating temperature; Ambient temperature

On-site performance requirements for valves; Wear-resistant, installation space meets on-site requirements, good sealing performance.

Previous on-site valve usage; Internal leakage, inability to close tightly, jamming.

Causes of valve internal leakage;

1. When the butterfly valve is closed, it is easy for materials to be trapped, jamming the valve, making the valve opening and closing not smooth.

2. During the opening process of the butterfly valve, the sealing surface is continuously eroded by the medium, leading to damage of the sealing surface.

3. For butterfly valves in material handling applications, the shutoff function is relatively poor, and the generated switching torque is relatively large, causing significant wear and tear on the valve stem.

II. Challenges and Problems Faced

1. Because the medium is nitrogen transporting silicon powder (gas-solid two-phase), the silicon powder has high hardness, and coupled with gas transport, the valve needs to be wear-resistant and erosion-resistant. Simultaneously, due to the presence of nitrogen in the medium, high sealing requirements are necessary.

2. Because the medium is powder, the problem of valve clogging must also be addressed. Material clogging inside the valve can lead to incomplete valve opening and closing, and in severe cases, damage to the valve stem and sealing surface.

III. EICMATION's Recommended Solution (as shown in the figure)

Valve Introduction;

1. The valve plate and valve seat are made of reinforced ceramic, with excellent erosion resistance and wear resistance.

2. The two valve plate brackets are equipped with springs to achieve self-tightening sealing with bidirectional spring flexible pre-tightening pressure, featuring low-pressure sealing and no jamming or ash accumulation during the opening and closing process.

3. The ceramic hardness can reach over 90HRC, with good wear resistance.

4. A discharge hole is opened on one gate plate to effectively discharge the material inside the cavity, preventing material accumulation in the valve and causing incomplete valve opening and closing.

5. The valve body is designed with a purge port to effectively clean the accumulated material inside the valve body, ensuring smooth valve opening and closing without jamming.

6. The valve structure size can be customized, with structural dimensions customizable from 300mm to 500mm to meet on-site conditions.

7. The cost-effectiveness of ceramic valves is far greater than that of traditional ball valves, gate valves, and other general-purpose valves, saving costs for the enterprise.

Valve Introduction;

1. The bidirectional sealing knife gate valve has reliable sealing performance, and the valve has no installation direction, allowing for arbitrary installation in either direction.

2. At the same time, the bottom valve cover is detachable, allowing for timely cleaning of solid particles accumulated at the bottom of the valve, ensuring smooth valve closure.

3. The valve uses soft sealing, with reliable sealing performance. The valve plate uses 4800+Cr, with good wear resistance.

4. The gate plate has a guiding hole to prevent material accumulation in the cavity and hinder valve opening and closing.

5. The valve seat is never in contact with the medium, increasing the service life of the valve seat.

Solution 1: On-site, a soft-sealed knife gate valve can be installed on top, and a ceramic valve can be installed below. The knife gate valve serves as a backup valve (normally open), and the bottom ceramic valve is used as the on/off valve. (High cost-effectiveness, compact valve installation size, small installation space, and meets on-site process requirements.)

Solution 2: On-site, a ceramic valve (normally open) can be installed on top, and a ball valve can be installed below as the on/off valve. (Higher price, larger valve installation size, larger installation space, but meets on-site process requirements.)

Solution 3: On-site, a knife gate valve (normally open) can be installed on top, and a ball valve can be installed below as the on/off valve. (Moderate price, moderate valve installation size, relatively small installation space, and meets on-site process requirements.)

It is recommended to adopt Solution 1.

IV. The customer finally chose Solution 1.

1. The valve has been in use for more than a year and is still in normal operation.

2. The customer has provided our company with a positive testimonial.