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3-Way Ball Valves
Flanged Ball Valves
Threaded Ball Valves
Weld-on Ball Valves
Pneumatic Ball Valves
Electric Ball Valves
Ball Valves DVGW Water & Gas
PFA Ball Valves
Ball Valve Duplex
Material Selection for Ball Valves at Fergo
We at Fergo specialize in providing personalized, process-related solutions with many different material options for ball valves. In addition to standard materials like stainless steel, cast steel (WCB), gray cast iron, and ductile iron, here are some of the other materials in which we can offer our ball valves.
- ASTM A352 (Grade LCB): Low-temperature carbon steel for applications down to -46°C. Not suitable for applications above +425°C.
- Monel (ASTM 743): Weldable, with good corrosion resistance to all organic acids and saltwater. Also highly resistant to most alkaline solutions up to +400°C.
- Hastelloy: Nickel alloy with excellent corrosion resistance against oxidizing and reducing acids, chloride-containing media, and seawater. Hastelloy ball valves exhibit outstanding properties at high temperatures and are particularly suitable for applications in chemical, petrochemical, oil and gas industries, nuclear reactors, and marine engineering. We can offer various grades of Hastelloy ball valves, such as Alloy C22, Alloy C4, Alloy B2, Alloy C276, and more.
- INCONEL: Excellent mechanical properties across a wide temperature range. Good oxidation resistance and ideal for oil and gas, chemical, and saltwater applications.
- ASTM A182 F51 (DIN 1.4462): Duplex 2205 is a robust duplex stainless steel with high strength, especially at low temperatures, and very good corrosion resistance. Ball valves made from this stainless steel are suitable for use in chloride-containing environments, offshore/seawater applications, and in oil and gas pipelines.
- Alloy 2507 (DIN 1.4410): Alloy 2507, or super duplex stainless steel, offers excellent resistance to stress corrosion cracking and high mechanical strength. Ball valves made from super duplex stainless steel are frequently used in seawater applications, desalination plants, chloride-containing environments, oil and gas pipelines, and the chemical industry.
Additionally, upon request, we can also supply the ball valves with seals made from materials such as PTFE, glass-filled PTFE, TFM1600, TFM4215, PEEK, POM, Metallic (material selection), and Graphite.
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Frequently Asked Questions – Ball Valves
- Bubble-tight sealing – Soft seats (typically PTFE, TFM 1600, EPDM, or FKM) press against the ball to create a leak-free seal, even at high pressures
- Minimal flow resistance when open – In full bore designs, the ball bore matches the pipe inner diameter exactly, resulting in virtually zero pressure drop
- Fast operation – A single 90° movement opens or closes the valve; switch times of under one second with pneumatic actuation
- Long service life – Few moving parts, no packing gland wear during normal ON/OFF operation, low maintenance requirements
- Compact and lightweight – Shorter face-to-face dimensions than gate valves or globe valves at equivalent bore sizes
- 3-Way ball valves – L-bore (diverting) and T-bore (mixing/distributing); flanged and threaded; stainless steel, brass, carbon steel; DN15–DN100 PN10/16/25/40; manual, pneumatic, and electric; TA-Luft, ATEX
- Flanged ball valves – DIN PN10/16/25/40, ANSI Class 150, ASME B16.5; stainless steel 1.4408, carbon steel 1.0619, GGG40; TFM 1600 seat; TA-Luft, Fire Safe, ATEX, AD2000-A4; DN15–DN300; manual, pneumatic, electric
- Threaded ball valves – ISO 7-1 / Rp (BSP), NPT; stainless steel 1.4408, brass; PTFE/TFM seat; DN8–DN100; manual and automated; DVGW versions available
- Weld-on (butt-weld) ball valves – End-to-end butt-weld connection per EN 12627 / ASME B16.25; stainless steel; for high-purity and high-pressure systems where flanged connections are undesirable
- Pneumatic ball valves – Double-acting (DA) and single-acting/spring-return (SA: NC or NO); ISO 5211 direct mount; NAMUR solenoid interface; ATEX available; flanged and threaded; DN8–DN300
- Electric ball valves – J4C actuator; 24–240 V AC/DC; 20–300 Nm; standard, positioner, battery backup (BSR) variants; ISO 5211; flanged and threaded; PLC/SCADA integration
- Ball valves DVGW (water & gas) – DVGW-certified for drinking water and gas to German requirements; GGG40 body with stainless steel ball; PN16; threaded (Rp) and flanged (DIN PN16); TA-Luft
- Duplex ball valves – Duplex stainless steel 1.4462 (SAF 2205) or super duplex 1.4410 (SAF 2507) body and ball; for seawater, chloride-bearing media, offshore, and other highly corrosive applications where standard stainless steel is insufficient
- 1.4408 / AISI 316 / CF8M (V4A) – The most common stainless steel for industrial ball valves. Excellent resistance to corrosion, most acids (except concentrated HCl and HF at high temperatures), seawater, organic compounds, and steam. Suitable for food, pharmaceutical, chemical, and water treatment applications. TFM 1600 seat for temperatures from −29 °C to +175 °C.
- 1.4301 / AISI 304 / CF8 – Standard austenitic stainless steel; lower molybdenum content than 1.4408; less corrosion-resistant against chlorides but cost-effective for clean water, food, and non-aggressive media where 316 is not required.
- 1.4571 / AISI 316 Ti – Titanium-stabilised 316; used in high-temperature applications and specific chemical environments requiring resistance to intergranular corrosion.
- Duplex 1.4462 / Super Duplex 1.4410 – For the most demanding corrosion conditions: seawater, chloride-rich media, offshore. See our Duplex ball valve range.
- Corrosive or aggressive media (acids, alkalis, solvents)
- Food, beverage, or pharmaceutical applications requiring hygienic surfaces
- Outdoor or moist environments where brass dezincification may occur
- Steam or high-temperature applications above +150 °C
- Where current drinking water regulations restrict copper alloys (e.g., KTW/DVGW)
The two bore configurations serve fundamentally different purposes:
- L-bore (L-port) – The ball bore forms an L-shape. In one position, it connects Port 1 to Port 2 (Port 3 closed); after a 90° turn, it connects Port 1 to Port 3 (Port 2 closed). Use case: diverting – switching a single inlet between two alternative outlets. Example: directing process media alternately to reactor A or reactor B.
- T-bore (T-port) – The ball bore forms a T-shape. Depending on position, it can connect all three ports simultaneously, or connect any two of the three. Use case: mixing or full-pass – combining two inlet streams into one outlet, or allowing flow through from any direction. Example: hot/cold water blending, return line switching in heating systems.
- Double-acting (DA) vs. single-acting (SA):
- DA: Air required for both opening and closing – maximum torque in both directions; no defined fail-safe position (valve stays in last position on air failure)
- SA spring-to-close (NC): Air opens the valve; spring returns it to CLOSED on air failure → fail-safe CLOSED. Standard choice for safety shut-off duties
- SA spring-to-open (NO): Air closes the valve; spring returns it to OPEN on air failure → fail-safe OPEN. Used where the pipeline must remain open on loss of control (e.g., cooling water)
- Operating pressure: Standard pneumatic actuators operate on 4–8 bar compressed air supply. The actuator size must deliver sufficient torque to overcome the ball valve's operating torque at the minimum available air pressure.
- ATEX: For use in hazardous areas (Ex-zones), ATEX-rated actuator and NAMUR solenoid valve combinations are available. Pneumatic actuators are inherently spark-free, making them a natural choice for explosive atmospheres.
- Control: NAMUR solenoid valves (3/2-way for SA, 5/2-way for DA) mount directly on the actuator without additional piping, controlled by 24 V DC signal from PLC.
- Position feedback: Add a Switchmaster limit switch box (IP67, ATEX) for OPEN/CLOSED confirmation to the control system.
- J4C Standard – ON/OFF control via 24–240 V AC/DC signal. Integrated end-stop switches, visual position indicator. Ideal for straightforward remote open/close without intermediate positioning.
- J4C Positioner – Adds a 4–20 mA or 0–10 V analogue input for stepless positioning. The valve can be set to any intermediate position between 0° and 90°, enabling continuous flow regulation. Essential for process control loops where partial opening is required.
- J4C BSR Battery Backup – On mains power failure, the integrated battery pack automatically drives the valve to the pre-programmed safe position (open or closed). The electrical equivalent of spring-return in a pneumatic actuator.
- J4C Positioner + Battery Backup – The complete solution for safety-relevant control loops requiring both continuous positioning and fail-safe operation.
- Drinking water systems – Materials in contact with drinking water must not negatively affect water quality; DVGW certification confirms compliance with German drinking water regulations (TrinkwV) and KTW guidelines. PTFE/EPDM seat materials; stainless steel or GGG40 body.
- Gas installations – DVGW-approved valves confirm suitability for natural gas, biogas, propane, and other flammable gases in low- and medium-pressure networks; TA-Luft emission compliance also typically included.
- All valves in public or commercial drinking water installations in Germany
- All valves in domestic and industrial gas supply lines
- Specified in project tenders by German municipal utilities and water authorities
Choose a ball valve when:
- Full bore is critical – Pig-able pipelines, no restriction to flow, or media containing solids that must pass through freely
- Bubble-tight sealing under high pressure – Ball valves seal against hard seat materials (TFM, PTFE) and are leak-free at up to PN40 or ANSI Class 300
- Small to medium nominal sizes (DN8–DN150) – Ball valves are cost-competitive at these sizes; at larger DN they become heavy and expensive
- Threaded or butt-weld connections – Not available in butterfly valves; ball valves cover all connection types
- DVGW-certified applications – Drinking water and gas installations where ball valves are the predominant certified type
- 3-way mixing or diverting duty – Only available as ball or plug valves, not butterfly
- Large nominal sizes (DN200–DN1200) – Butterfly valves are dramatically more compact, lighter, and cheaper at large DN; a DN600 ball valve is impractical
- Space is very limited (short face-to-face) – Wafer butterfly valves require only ~45 mm face-to-face at DN100; equivalent ball valves are 3–4× longer
- Lower pressure ratings (PN6–PN16) – Butterfly valves excel at lower pressures; above PN16 the ball valve becomes more suitable
- Cost is a primary driver at medium-large sizes – A DN200 butterfly valve costs a fraction of an equivalent ball valve