SOLVAY ADVANCED POLYMERS’ UDEL P-1700 HELPS OHIO CO PRODUCE BETTER ‘BALL’ FOR BALL VALVE
10 July 2002 - Solvay Advanced Polymers Llc

But for Ronald A. Moner, P.E., the chief engineer in Parker Hannifin Corporation’s Parflex Division in Ravenna, Ohio, it means the ‘ball’ inside the ball valve is sealing properly. The ‘ball’ in question is made from UDEL P-1700 NT11polysulfone produced by Solvay Advanced Polymers, L.L.C.

“The valve we manufacture must provide leak-free performance,” Moner said.
“To achieve this, the ball inside the valve must create a tight seal when it is in the closed position.”

“The predictable production characteristics of balls made from UDEL P-1700
results in parts with uniform dimensions and a very smooth surface finish. This helps us achieve this leak-free performance,” he said.

According to Moner, when UDEL polysulfone is molded, there is minimal
shrinkage that is consistent and predictable. “This minimizes or eliminates ‘sink’ or distortion of the finished part, which means that the final ball is close to a perfect sphere,” he added.

“UDEL polysulfone also resists corrosion and buildup from minerals in the water that try to attach or ‘plate’ themselves onto the ball itself,” he said. Moner said this resistance to corrosion, along with the smooth surface finish of the ball itself, not only creates a much tighter seal that prevents leaks when it is in the closed position, but it also makes the valve easier to open and close.

“The surface finish of balls made with the material we previously used contained a lot of flow lines. Those flow lines reduced the surface smoothness of the ball, making it more susceptible to leakage and requiring more torque to open and close the valve,” he noted.

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