Specification

TIANYU ASTM F304L/F316L Stainless Steel Low-Temperature Forged Butt Welding Floating Ball Valve

I. Product Overview

TIANYU low-temperature forged floating ball valve is a high-performance flow control solution engineered for extreme cryogenic environments. Crafted with ASTM F304L/F316L stainless steel—renowned for ultra-low-temperature toughness—it features a butt welding connection and floating ball structure to handle liquid hydrogen, LNG, and other low-temperature media. Operating at -196℃~450℃ and 150LB~600LB pressure, it integrates safety designs like anti-blowout stems and fire resistance. Compliant with API 6D, API 608, and ASME standards, it is ideal for hydrogen energy, cryogenic storage, and low-temperature industrial systems where material stability and leak-tightness are critical.

Low temperature forged stainless steel ASTM F304/F304L liquid hydrogen threaded NPT floating ball valve with handwheel

1.Low temperature forged stainless steel ASTM F304/F304L liquid hydrogen threaded NPT floating ball valve with handwheel Product Specification:

Size: 1/2”-10”(DN15~DN250)
Pressure Rating: 150LB-600LB/PN16~PN100/10K~60K)
Material: A351 CF8M/CF8/CF3, A216 WCB, A352 LCB/LCC
Suitable Temperature: -196ºC~450ºC( Different temperature choose different materials).
Suitable Medium: Water, Steam, Oil and natural gas etc.

2.Low temperature forged stainless steel ASTM F304/F304L liquid hydrogen threaded NPT floating ball valve with handwheel Technical Specification:

Design & Manufacture standard: API 6D, API 608, BS 5351/DIN3357/JIS B2071
Pressure & Temperature standard: ASME B16.34/DIN3230
Face to face dimension standard: ASME B16.10/DIN3202/JIS B2002
Flange standard: ASME B16.5, ASME B16.47/DIN2543-2545-2501/JIS B2220
Test & Inspect standard: API 598, API 6D/DIN2401/JIS B2003.

3.Low temperature forged stainless steel ASTM F304/F304L liquid hydrogen threaded NPT floating ball valve with handwheel Product Feature:

Floating ball, full bore or reduce bore.
ISO5211 mounting pad for option.
Blow-out proof stem design.
PTFE/RPTFE seat seal( Seat seal material could be decided by customer’s request or according to valve’s medium & temp. condition).
Anti-static design and API 607 Fire Safe Design available
Operation: Hand wheel, Worm wheel, Pneumatic actuator & Electric Actuator.

II. Key Attribute Parameters

Size Range: 1/2″~10″ (DN15~DN250), covering small to medium-diameter pipelines. From 1/2″ laboratory liquid hydrogen lines to 10″ industrial LNG transmission pipes, it adapts to diverse cryogenic flow control needs.
Pressure Rating: 150LB~600LB (PN16~PN100). 150LB suits low-pressure cryogenic storage; 600LB handles high-pressure systems like natural gas vaporization lines, ensuring stability under varying pressure conditions.
Temperature Range: -196℃~450℃. F304L/F316L retains impact toughness at ultra-low temperatures (avoiding brittleness) and resists oxidation at high temperatures, covering extreme cryogenic to medium-high temperature working conditions.
Material Configuration:
- Body, Ball & Stem: Forged F304L (low-carbon 304) or F316L (low-carbon 316) stainless steel. F304L minimizes intergranular corrosion; F316L adds molybdenum for enhanced chloride resistance—both maintain ductility at -196℃, critical for cryogenic safety.
- Seat: RPTFE (15% glass fiber filled) for -196℃~180℃ or PEEK for up to 260℃. These materials resist cold flow (deformation under low-temperature pressure) and ensure reliable sealing.
Connection Type: Butt welding, creating a seamless, leak-tight joint. Welded ends eliminate flange/gasket leakage points, withstanding thermal expansion and vibration in high-integrity cryogenic pipelines.
Actuation: Manual (handwheel) with optional worm gear/pneumatic actuators. Handwheels feature ergonomic design for easy operation even with cold-protection gloves.
Design & Test Standards: Follows API 6D, API 608; testing complies with API 598 (hydrostatic test at 1.5×rated pressure) and API 607 (fire safety test) to ensure performance and safety.

Product Overview

III. Features Description

Low-Temperature Material Toughness: Forged F304L/F316L undergoes cryogenic treatment (-196℃ immersion) to stabilize its crystal structure, retaining impact resistance (Charpy V-notch toughness ≥27J at -196℃). Unlike standard stainless steel, it avoids brittle fracture—critical for liquid hydrogen systems where material failure could cause explosive risks.
Floating Ball Sealing Reliability: The ball “floats” and is pushed against the seat by media pressure, with sealing performance improving as pressure increases. This self-tightening design compensates for temperature-induced material contraction, ensuring zero leakage—vital for cryogens where even minor leaks can cause rapid cooling or media loss.
Butt Welding Integrity: Welded joints are formed via precision beveling and fusion, creating a seamless connection that matches pipeline strength. Post-weld heat treatment relieves stress, avoiding cracks during thermal cycling—ideal for high-reliability systems like LNG pipelines.
Safety-Enhanced Design:
- Anti-blowout stem: A shoulder structure prevents stem ejection under pressure, avoiding hazardous media leakage in high-pressure cryogenic systems.
- Anti-static device: Metal springs connect the ball and body, dissipating static electricity to prevent sparks in flammable media (e.g., natural gas).
- Fire-safe capability: Complies with API 607, maintaining sealing via metal backup seals if soft seats degrade in a fire—reducing accident risks.
Full Bore Option: Full bore design minimizes flow resistance, ensuring unobstructed flow of cryogenic media (e.g., liquid hydrogen) and reducing pressure drop in transmission lines.

IV. Manufacturing Processes

Forging & Cryogenic Treatment: F304L/F316L ingots are forged into dense blanks (eliminating casting defects like pores). Forged components undergo cryogenic treatment (-196℃ for 4 hours) to relieve internal stresses, followed by tempering to ensure dimensional stability under temperature cycles.
Precision Machining: Ball and seat sealing surfaces are CNC-ground to Ra ≤0.8μm for uniform contact. Butt-weld ends are beveled per ASME B16.25 to ensure seamless welding; stem threads are rolled (not cut) for enhanced strength and wear resistance.
Seal Assembly: RPTFE/PEEK seats are pre-compressed into the body, with glass fiber reinforcement preventing cold flow. Seat pockets include thermal compensation gaps to accommodate material contraction at low temperatures.
Testing:
- Cryogenic Leak Test: Valves are immersed in liquid nitrogen (-196℃) for 2 hours, then pressurized to 1.1×rated pressure—leakage is verified via helium mass spectrometry (≤1×10⁻⁹ Pa·m³/s).
- Hydrostatic Test: Body tested at 1.5×rated pressure (e.g., 9.0MPa for 600LB) for 30 minutes; seat tested at 1.1×rated pressure to confirm sealing.
- Impact Test: Material samples are tested for Charpy toughness at -196℃ to ensure compliance with low-temperature safety standards.

Valve Details

Weld End Stress Control

The weld area undergoes local annealing to reduce residual welding stress to below 200MPa. Cooperated with precise bevel design (30°±1°), it prevents weld cracking at low temperatures.
Low-Temperature Seal Compensation Design

To address material shrinkage in -196℃ extreme cold environments, a micron-level compensation gap is reserved at the contact surface between the valve seat and ball. Combined with pre-compressed RPTFE/PEEK seals, it ensures continuous sealing during temperature cycles.

V. Product Advantages

Ultra-Low-Temperature Reliability: F304L/F316L’s forged structure and cryogenic treatment ensure it won’t crack or leak at -196℃—outperforming standard valves in liquid hydrogen and LNG systems where material brittleness is a critical risk.
Leak-Tight Sealing: Floating ball self-tightening and RPTFE/PEEK seats maintain sealing across temperature cycles, meeting strict industry requirements for cryogen containment (e.g., ISO 19880 for hydrogen valves).
High-Integrity Connection: Butt welding eliminates flange leakage points, with weld joints resisting thermal expansion and vibration—ideal for high-reliability systems like LNG pipelines or hydrogen storage.
Corrosion Resistance: F316L’s molybdenum content resists chloride corrosion, making it suitable for marine LNG terminals or hydrogen systems with trace moisture. F304L offers cost-effective reliability for general cryogenic media.
Safety Compliance: Anti-blowout stems, anti-static design, and API 607 fire safety meet global cryogenic safety standards, reducing operational risks in hazardous environments.

Application

VI. Product Applications

Hydrogen Energy Systems: Controls liquid/gaseous hydrogen flow in production, storage, and refueling stations. F304L/F316L resist hydrogen embrittlement; tight sealing prevents hydrogen leakage (hydrogen’s high diffusivity demands strict leak control).
LNG Storage & Transmission: Manages liquefied natural gas in tanks, pipelines, and vaporization units. Butt-weld connections ensure high integrity; low-temperature toughness avoids leakage at -162℃.
Low-Temperature Industrial Processes: Regulates cold media in pharmaceutical freeze-drying, semiconductor wafer cooling, and aerospace cryogenic testing. Full bore design minimizes flow resistance, critical for precision processes.
Natural Gas Processing: Handles cold natural gas in fractionation plants. Fire-safe design and 600LB pressure resistance adapt to pipeline safety requirements, preventing accidents.

TIANYU low-temp ball valve: 1/2″~10″, 150~600LB, -196~450℃. F304L/F316L, butt-weld. For hydrogen, LNG. Customizable: F316L for chloride, PEEK seats, flanged ends for specific systems.

ASTM F304L/F316L Stainless Steel Low-Temperature Forged Butt Welding Floating Ball Valve