Free guide matches valves with chemical resistance properties

With the advances in production automation, the use of the humble valve in its many variants has become prevalent in most modern production systems. However, the design of a valve in a brewery will be very different to one used in a pharmaceutical application.

Designed to simplify the selection of suitable materials when using Brkert products for aggressive fluids, the guide aims to provide useful information on the best choice of housing and gasket material. If the production process involves liquid food products, the plastics and elastomers used should conform to the local food and hygiene regulations, for example.

The guide, which is available in pdf format from the Brkert website, provides an overview of the basic materials used in valve construction and then relates these materials to basic chemicals, commercial products and liquid food products. Each valve material is rated for resistance to chemical attack by each individual chemical as suitable, limited suitability or unsuitable.

As with many useful guides such as this, the information does not guarantee a component will not be chemically attacked, since the actual operating conditions may differ from test conditions. Factors such as mechanical loading, increased temperatures and chemical concentrations all have a bearing on the performance of individual components.

Customers are advised to carry out testing of samples in actual operating conditions and use the chart as a guide rather than an absolute specification tool. Further assistance with specific applications can also be found by contacting the Brkert technical support team. Download the free guide here.