Application Case Study

316L Stainless Steel Ball Application Case in Seawater Desalination Pump Valves

Industry: 阀门制造|valve

Adopted 316L stainless steel balls to replace original 304 stainless steel balls for seawater desalination pump valve systems. Through optimizing material composition, particularly reducing carbon content and increasing molybdenum content, significantly improved product's resistance to chloride ion corrosion. Developed specialized surface passivation process to further enhance product's corrosion resistance and service life.

316L Stainless Steel Ball Application Case in Seawater Desalination Pump Valves

Application Overview

## Project Background

The client is an internationally leading seawater desalination equipment manufacturer, specializing in reverse osmosis seawater desalination equipment, high-pressure pumps, control valves, and other core products. In developing next-generation seawater desalination systems, they faced the following technical challenges:

• High corrosivity of high-salinity seawater environment
• Operating pressure up to 8.0MPa
• Required continuous operation 8760 hours/year
• Maintenance costs must be controlled within reasonable limits
• Strict environmental requirements, no secondary pollution allowed

## Technical Requirements

### Operating Environment
– **Media Characteristics:** Seawater, salinity 35,000ppm
– **Operating Pressure:** 0.5-8.0MPa
– **Operating Temperature:** 5-45℃
– **Flow Range:** 10-500m³/h
– **Operating Time:** Continuous operation 365 days

### Performance Standards
– **Corrosion Resistance:** No corrosion in seawater environment for 10 years
– **Pressure Resistance:** Withstand 10MPa pressure
– **Sealing Performance:** Leak rate <1×10⁻⁶Pa·m³/s
– **Mechanical Properties:** Impact resistance, fatigue resistance
– **Food Grade Requirements:** Comply with drinking water standards

## Product Selection

### Technical Parameters
– **Product Model:** 316L Stainless Steel Ball
– **Specifications:** 12.7mm G25 precision
– **Quantity Required:** 20,000 pieces/year
– **Special Requirements:** Ultra-low carbon content (<0.03%)

### Material Advantages
– **Corrosion Resistance:** Excellent resistance to chloride ion corrosion
– **Low Carbon Content:** Effectively prevents intergranular corrosion
– **Mechanical Properties:** Good strength and toughness
– **Food Grade:** Complies with FDA and EU standards

## Manufacturing Process

### Material Control
– **Furnace Charge Selection:** Selected low-carbon raw materials
– **Smelting Process:** AOD refining decarburization
– **Chemical Composition:** Strict control of C, N, P, S content
– **Purity:** Ultrasonic flaw detection

### Surface Treatment
– **Acid Pickling and Passivation:** Remove surface oxide layer
– **Electrolytic Polishing:** Improve surface finish
– **Cleaning and Packaging:** Clean and package in dust-free environment
– **Quality Inspection:** 100% visual inspection

## Application Verification

### Corrosion Performance Testing
– **Salt Spray Test:** 1000-hour neutral salt spray test
– **Immersion Test:** 6-month immersion in seawater
– **Electrochemical Test:** Polarization curve testing
– **Test Results:** Corrosion rate <0.01mm/year

### Mechanical Performance Testing
– **Pressure Test:** 12MPa hydraulic pressure test
– **Fatigue Test:** 1 million loading cycles
– **Impact Test:** Charpy impact test
– **Test Results:** All indicators meet requirements

## Project Results

### Technical Performance Improvement
– **Service Life:** Improved from 3 years to 10 years
– **Corrosion Rate:** Reduced by 95%
– **Maintenance Frequency:** Reduced from monthly to quarterly
– **Equipment Reliability:** Failure rate reduced by 70%

### Economic Benefits
– **Maintenance Cost:** Reduced by 60%
– **Downtime:** Reduced by 80%
– **Water Quality:** Improved to Grade A standards
– **Customer Satisfaction:** Improved to 98%

## Application Innovation

### Product Optimization
– Developed specialized surface passivation process
– Optimized sphere geometric precision control
– Improved packaging and transportation solutions
– Established product traceability system

### Service Innovation
– Provided installation technical guidance
– Established regular inspection services
– Developed predictive maintenance solutions
– Provided technical training support

## Environmental Benefits

### Environmental Friendliness
– **No Heavy Metals:** Contains no harmful elements like lead, mercury
– **Recyclable:** 100% recyclable
– **Long Life:** Reduces replacement frequency
– **Energy Saving:** Reduces system energy consumption

### Social Benefits
– **Drinking Water Safety:** Ensures desalinated water quality
– **Ocean Protection:** Reduces marine pollution
– **Resource Conservation:** Improves equipment utilization
– **Technological Progress:** Promotes industry technology development

## Customer Feedback

“316L stainless steel balls perform excellently in our seawater desalination equipment, completely solving the seawater corrosion problem. Equipment operates stably, maintenance costs are significantly reduced, and water quality consistently maintains high standards. This has won us more orders in the international market.”

Implementation Gallery

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Client Testimonial

"316L stainless steel balls perform excellently in our seawater desalination equipment, completely solving the seawater corrosion problem. Equipment operates stably, maintenance costs are significantly"
— Satisfied Client

Application Areas

Project Details

Published: 7 月 26, 2025
Industry: 阀门制造|valve
Type: Application Case

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