Soft-sealed gate valves and hard-sealed gate valves cannot be mixed. There are significant differences between soft-sealed gate valves and hard-sealed gate valves in terms of sealing materials, usage conditions and applicable scenarios. Mixing may lead to performance degradation or equipment damage.

1.Differences in sealing materials

‌Soft-sealed gate valve‌: One side of the sealing pair is metal material, and the other side is elastic non-metallic material (such as rubber or polytetrafluoroethylene). This sealing method has good sealing performance, but is not resistant to high temperatures, easy to wear, and has poor mechanical properties.

‌Hard-sealed gate valve‌: Both sides of the sealing pair are made of metal materials or other harder materials (such as stainless steel, copper, etc.). This sealing method is resistant to high temperatures, wear, and has good mechanical properties, but the sealing effect is relatively poor.

2.Differences in usage conditions

‌Soft-sealed gate valve‌: Suitable for situations where the temperature is low, the medium contains solid particles or has wear. In high temperature environments, soft sealing materials may leak, so attention should be paid to fire prevention.

‌Hard-sealed gate valve‌: Suitable for high temperature and high pressure environments. Hard-sealed gate valves can maintain sealing at high temperatures and are wear-resistant. They are suitable for situations where the medium contains solid particles or the temperature exceeds 200 degrees.

3.Consequences of mixing

Due to the differences in sealing materials and use conditions between soft and hard-sealed gate valves, mixing may cause the following problems:

Performance degradation : When sealing surfaces of different materials are mixed, they may cause poor sealing and leakage.

‌Equipment damage : Different materials have different friction and wear characteristics. Mixing may cause premature wear of equipment and affect service life.

Therefore, soft-sealed gate valves and hard-sealed gate valves cannot be mixed. The appropriate type should be selected according to the specific use conditions and medium characteristics.