Challenging Operating Condition Breakthrough Case — Syngas Purification
In the Coal Chemical industry, stable and long-term operation of production units is critical. Any failure of key components can result in significant production losses. A chemical enterprise in Jiangsu Province, which investedUSD 1.3 billion to build a world-class Soda Ash complex, once faced a serious challenge in itscore gasification unit.
The valve used for lock-hopper depressurization of the gasifier operates under extremely harsh conditions. The process medium is black water containing a large amount of solid particles with strong erosive characteristics, combined with operating temperatures up to 200 °C and pressures as high as 10 MPa. Previously, the plant used a domestically supplied tungsten-carbide–coated metal valve, which suffered from severe vibration and erosion, leading to frequent internal leakage. Its service life was limited to about one year, resulting in high maintenance costs and posing a serious threat to the unit’s continuous and stable operation.
Breakthrough Solution: KOWOV Ceramic Ball Valve
This long-standing problem was ultimately solved through the successful application of KOWOV Ceramic Ball Valves. The FCCV5 series is specifically designed for high-temperature, high-pressure, high differential pressure applications with solid-laden media, where severe wear is unavoidable.
Its core technical innovations include:
- Oversized ceramic balldesign, significantly enhancing mechanical strength
- Wide sealing seat with scraping function, ensuring reliable sealing and extended service life
- Fully hard-sealing structure, eliminating vulnerable non-metallic sealing materials
- Tongue-and-groove body sealingwith a wide spiral-wound gasket, effectively resisting piping loads and thermal stress to ensure zero external leakage
- Live-loaded packing system, maintaining constant sealing stress under long-term wear and greatly extending packing life
Long-Term Performance Validation
Practice is the ultimate proof of performance. On November 6, 2017, the first KOWOV Ceramic Ball Valve was installed in the customer’s gasification unit. Its outstanding performance quickly earned the customer’s trust.
As of May 2025, the first installed valve has been operating continuously and without interruption for more than 7 years and 7 months, with no damage or leakage observed on either the valve core or the seat.
Encouraged by this performance, the customer subsequently added two more valves of the same model. All three valves are currently operating smoothly online, with an expected total service life exceeding 10 years.
Economic Benefits
Although the initial purchase cost of the KOWOV Ceramic Ball Valve is2–3 times higher than that of conventional tungsten-carbide–coated valves, its ultra-long maintenance-free service life and exceptional reliability dramatically reduce production losses caused by unplanned shutdowns. From a lifecycle cost perspective, the overall economic benefit is more than five times that of traditional valves.
Conclusion
More than seven years of successful operation in this gasification unit strongly demonstrates that KOWOV ceramic ball valves can reliably withstand the most severe wear conditions in coal chemical applications. This case provides a proven and effective solution to the industry-wide challenges of short service life and frequent leakage of lock-hopper valves, significantly improving the operational reliability of critical units and contributing meaningfully to long-cycle, low-maintenance operation in coal chemical plants.