Engineering for Extreme Conditions

When pipelines carry corrosive slurries with hard particles, a valve’s internal design determines how long it lasts. KV Controls’ ceramic knife gate valves use advanced ceramic materials and a clever flow path design to handle high abrasion, corrosion and temperature – while keeping operation smooth and reliable.

This blog looks “under the bonnet” of the valve, highlighting the features that make it perform in ash, sludge, coal slurry, pulp and sewage duty.

Advanced Ceramic Sealing Technology

The heart of the valve is the ceramic sealing system:

The disc and seat sealing surfaces use advanced ceramics specially selected for abrasion resistance, corrosion resistance and high temperature performance.
Ceramics provide very high hardness, so particles in the slurry cause minimal wear over time.
Low thermal expansion and good insulation properties help maintain sealing accuracy over a wide temperature range.

Because the sealing surfaces keep their shape and hardness, the valve delivers:

Very high abrasion resistance
Strong corrosion resistance in aggressive media
Stable sealing performance under thermal cycling

This is exactly what you need in stone coal systems for thermal power plants, abrasive ash lines and aggressive process slurries.

Full-Bore Flow Path and Anti-Blocking Outlet

The valve is designed with a full circulation outlet, meaning the internal flow path is open and streamlined rather than restricted. This offers several advantages:

Non-blocking outlet: solids move through instead of building up and jamming the valve
Good sealing performance across the full stroke
Low opening load: the knife gate can move through the slurry with less force
Reduced ash jam: the design limits pockets where ash and solids can pack in and cause problems

The result is smoother operation, fewer stuck valves and more stable process performance, particularly in high-solids lines.

Ductile Structural Ceramic and Long Life Durability

The valve’s sealing section features ductile structural ceramic elements combined with a robust body design. Benefits include:

High mechanical strength in the ceramic and body structure
Excellent abrasion resistance over long operating periods
Good impact resistance at the sealing surfaces
Long life durability even in continuous severe service

The overall structure is compact and the valve can be installed at any angle. This gives engineers freedom when space is limited or piping layouts are complex.

Key Technical Highlights

KV’s ceramic knife gate valve range offers:

Nominal pressure: PN10 – PN25
Applicable temperature: suitable for low to high process temperatures (application dependent)
Actuator pressure (pneumatic): 0.6 – 0.8 MPa
Actuation options:
- Manual handwheel
- Pneumatic actuator
- Electric or hydraulic actuator (on request)

Beyond the standard range, the design can be adjusted according to customer requirements – from face-to-face dimensions and body materials, to actuator selection and accessories.

Custom Design to Match Your Process

Because every plant is different, KV Controls can:

Adapt the valve configuration to your pressure class and line size
Select actuation that matches your control philosophy (on/off or modulating)
Assist with material selection based on slurry chemistry and temperature
Integrate the valve with your control system for automated operation

You don’t need a generic solution – you get a ceramic knife gate valve sized and configured for your specific duty.

Call to Action

If you want to reduce unplanned valve failures in abrasive, corrosive or high-temperature slurries, the design of your valve really matters.

Talk to KV Controls about ceramic knife gate valves engineered for your process. Our team will help you match the right design, materials and actuation to your pipeline – so you can run longer, maintain less and improve plant reliability.