Cemented carbide valve balls, due to their high hardness, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, and impact resistance, have a wide range of applications in oilfield valves, playing an irreplaceable role, especially in high-pressure, high-temperature, highly corrosive, and solid particle-containing conditions.
1. Check Valve for Oil Pumps
Cemented carbide valve balls are the core component of stationary and floating check valves in oil pumps, responsible for controlling the unidirectional flow of fluid. In sandy wells, heavy oil wells, and high-pressure anti-drainage wells, oil pumps need to extract oil from formations hundreds to thousands of meters deep, and the medium often contains corrosive substances such as water, gas, wax, and sand.
Advantages of using cemented carbide valve balls in oil pump check valves:
Wear and corrosion resistance: Cemented carbide (such as WC-Co based) has a hardness of HRA85 or higher, resisting sand erosion and chemical corrosion, extending the valve ball's lifespan to 3-5 times that of traditional materials.
Reliable sealing: Mirror polishing technology achieves micron-level precision in the fit between the valve ball and seat, enabling bidirectional sealing and preventing media backflow or leakage.
High-pressure impact resistance: Capable of withstanding pressures above 280MPa, maintaining structural stability during frequent opening and closing, reducing the risk of jamming.
2. High-pressure wellhead gate valves
In high-pressure natural gas wells, deep wells, and ultra-deep wells, wellhead gate valves need to withstand extreme pressures (e.g., above 42MPa) and temperatures (e.g., -46℃ to +121℃).
Advantages of using cemented carbide valve balls in high-pressure wellhead gate valves:
High-temperature stability: Maintains high hardness and a low coefficient of expansion at high temperatures, preventing valve ball deformation that could lead to seal failure.
Hydrogen sulfide corrosion resistant: For H?S-containing environments, sulfur-resistant materials are used to prevent stress corrosion cracking.
Quick opening and closing: Switching is completed with a 90° rotation of the ball, requiring low operating torque and suitable for emergency shut-off scenarios.
3. Deep-sea drilling valves: Deep-sea drilling environments are complex, requiring resistance to high pressure, low temperatures, strong corrosion, and seawater erosion.
Advantages of cemented carbide ball valves in deep-sea drilling valves:
Seawater corrosion resistance: A special coating (such as nano-ceramics) is applied to the surface to prevent seawater erosion.
Resistance to low-temperature brittleness: Optimized material toughness maintains its toughness at -196℃, preventing brittle fracture.
Anti-jamming design: Precisely controlled clearance between the ball and seat reduces sediment deposition and ensures smooth opening and closing.
4. Wear-resistant regulating valves: In pipelines containing solid particulate media (such as drilling mud), regulating valves require frequent flow adjustments.
Advantages of using cemented carbide valve balls in wear-resistant control valves:
Resistant to erosion and wear: Cemented carbide is 5-10 times harder than ordinary steel, allowing it to withstand long-term high-speed particle erosion.
V-shaped opening design: Some valve balls utilize a V-shaped structure, achieving linear flow regulation through rotation while simultaneously dispersing erosion force.
Self-cleaning function: The valve seat is designed with a self-cleaning structure to prevent particle jamming and reduce maintenance frequency.
