What is a Ball Valve? What are the Functions of a Ball Valve?

1. What is a Ball Valve?

• The valve core is a hollow ball with a flow passage.

• Only a 90° rotation is needed for full opening or closing.

• Extremely strong sealing performance, achieving nearly zero leakage.

• Suitable for liquids, gases, steam, oil and gas, and other media.

2. Main Functions of a Ball Valve (6 Core Functions)

1. Quick opening/closing and fluid shut-off

   The primary function of a ball valve is to instantly open or close fully.

   It operates much faster than gate valves and globe valves, making it ideal for pipelines that require rapid shut-off.
2. Excellent sealing to prevent leakage

   Ball valves feature face sealing, with low wear on sealing surfaces and long service life.

   They are especially suitable for applications requiring zero leakage, such as natural gas, LPG, chemical media, and petroleum products.
3. Bi-directional flow, no installation direction restriction

   Most ball valves allow fluid to flow in both directions, so there is no need to distinguish inlet and outlet during installation, making them very convenient to use.
4. Wide compatibility with almost all media

• Water, cold water, hot water

• Air, compressed air, nitrogen

• Oil, fuel oil, lubricating oil

• Natural gas, LNG, liquefied petroleum gas

• Steam, corrosive chemical fluids

1. Throttling control (for specific models)

   Standard ball valves are mainly used for on/off control;

   V-port ball valves, eccentric ball valves, and other special types can adjust flow rate.
2. Corrosion resistance, wear resistance, and long service life

   Available in carbon steel, stainless steel, PTFE-lined, and other materials.

   Suitable for corrosive environments, high-temperature and high-pressure conditions, and applications requiring frequent operation over a long service life.

3. Most Common Industries Using Ball Valves

• Water supply & drainage, HVAC systems

• Petroleum, natural gas, and LNG industry

• Chemical, pharmaceutical, and food industry

• Power plants, thermal systems, and steam systems

• Air compressors and compressed air systems

• Shipbuilding, metallurgy, and mechanical equipment