Business Advice

What is a Slurry Knife Gate Valve?

Manufacturers of slurry knife gate valves typically create the valve so that it isolates the slurry flow even under the most difficult processing circumstances. The valve’s ability to flow in both directions allows it to tolerate backflow, and the elastomer sleeves that are present on both sides of the gate offer a tighter shutoff mechanism.Since the valve body is cast in a single piece, which typically eliminates the need for sealing in between the halves of the valve body, slurry knife gate valve manufacturers adhere to the concept of ease of maintenance. These valve sleeves, which only have the secondary seal and the ring sleeves as service components, are integrated with the distribution of the load in the ring.

For heavy-duty applications, high-pressure loads, higher solid concentration materials, and corrosive slurry applications that are erosive-abrasive and are typically found in the tailing lines of the concentrate slurry transport pipelines and the mineral ore concentration plants, a heavy-duty knife gate valve should be specifically designed to offer superior performance while giving a low downtime. A full port bi-directional knife gate valve that offers bubble-tight operation and is suitable for operating under high pressures of up to 20 bar contains two field-replaceable elastomer sleeves in a single-casting designed valve body. Additionally, they can withstand slurry temperatures of up to 80oC. To prevent parts from coming into contact with the slurry, the sleeves that are present on either side of the blade and are removable offer the actual bi-directional bubble-tight sealing. Visit ventomat.com.au for more details.

In general, the rubber ring sleeves are matched with the stiffener ring by placing them in the valve housing to seal them against each other when the slurry valve is in the open position, so that this tighter fitting contains all of the high internal line pressure, allowing for bi-directional flow and shut off. A wide-body slurry knife gate valve is an excellent choice for low and medium-pressure heavy-duty slurry applications in the industrial setting. While designed for heavy-duty applications, a Slurry knife gate valve is also ideal for use in the high-pressure application requirements of specific industrial sectors such as mining and mineral processing, power generation, wastewater treatment, and so on.

The sleeves can be replaced much more easily, which is one of the major benefits and it has a two-way flow. Typically, the slurry knife gate is withdrawn from the flow when fully opened. There is no downstream leakage due to the bubble-tight shutoff. There is no obstruction in the bonnet that would stop the flow. For its lower-maintenance circumstances, it’s very well suited for both dry and wet service or both, and easier to handle thanks to its lightweight design.

These valves are primarily intended for on-off and isolation services in systems with high suspended solids content, and they are very useful for managing slurry as well as viscous, corrosive, and abrasive media. The valves feature a modest pressure drop in the fully open position, are simple to operate, light in weight, and cost-effective. Knife gate valves should be used solely for applications that require a completely open or completely closed position and should not be used to regulate flow unless they are specifically intended for it. When fluid is forced against a partially closed gate, a vibration occurs, gradually eroding the disc and seat. Furthermore, the knife gate valves are designed to open and close slowly.

Carma Gatson
the authorCarma Gatson