Besides the obvious use of a brass ball valve in the plumbing industry, these valves are also found in many other industrial applications. They are used to transport gaseous and liquid mixtures. They are manufactured by casting and are easy to assemble in a piping system. They are resistant to corrosive materials, have excellent chemical resistance and can be welded.
A brass ball valve is a two-part valve with a body and a shaft that connects the ball to the control mechanism. There is usually a hole through the body of the valve, which serves as a flow opening. The holes through the ball vary in shape, size and profile. In most cases, the hole is reduced to allow for friction losses in the system.
There are three types of ball valves. They are one-piece, two-piece and press type. The type of connection that you choose depends on the type of fluid you are using. It is important to understand that brass ball valves are rated for a maximum working pressure of 280 PSI.
In a one-piece ball valve, the body is usually made of brass or stainless steel. In the case of a two-piece valve, the body is made of stainless steel and the flange bolts are made of brass. The brass body can be plated to make it more corrosion-resistant.
The ball is the sphere that encloses the hole in the center of the valve. There are two seating areas inside the ball. The upstream seat is adjacent to the inlet side of the valve and the downstream seat is on the discharge side.
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