History of valve-A History Made in Metal

History of valve-A History Made in Metal

Pouring bronze in a valve foundryToday’s valve material choices are like a Chinese buffet: Everything imaginable is on the menu. The multitude of choices has grown in response to the demands of customers and their expanding process requirements.

The first Roman valves were made from a bronze alloy very similar to today’s ASTM B62 bronze chemistry. These valves were used in plumbing systems in houses and public buildings. The bronze valves and other engineering discoveries of the Roman period would disappear under the thick cloak of the dark ages, and it wasn’t until the steam era that valve materials became a topic of interest again.

A bronze valve for locomotives is shown on the front page of American Machinist in 1885.The 19th century was the era of bronze and iron valves and piping. Looking through that century’s valve catalogs shows that valve material choices were just those two: bronze or iron. As the century neared an end, advances in irons were made including higher-strength cast irons, called ferro-steels, which were developed to meet the rising power plant temperature and pressure requirements.

The first decade of the 20th century saw the introduction of cast steel as a valve material. Improvements in steel-making processes brought steel casting capabilities to the plant floor of the major valve manufacturers. Although steel valves were available during the early part of the century, iron and bronze still were the most popular valve materials.

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