What exactly are “steel” and “iron,” what are their properties, and what is the relationship between them? Where do the terms 304, 304L, 316, and 316L come from, and what are the differences between them? Steel: A material with iron as its main element, generally containing less than 2% carbon, and also containing other elements. —GB/T 13304-91 “Classification of Steel” Iron: A metallic element, atomic number 26. Iron materials have strong ferromagnetism and good plasticity and thermal conductivity. Stainless Steel: A type of steel resistant to weak corrosive media such as air, steam, and water, or possessing rust-resistant properties. Commonly used grades are 304, 304L, 316, and 316L, which are the 300 series of austenitic stainless steels.

Valve Operating Temperature The operating temperature of a valve is determined by the material it is made of. The operating temperatures of commonly used valve materials are as follows:

In heavy industries such as coal chemical, polysilicon, and petrochemical production, valves, as core pipeline control equipment, directly determine the operating efficiency of the production line. Traditional wear-resistant ball valves and imported track ball valves have long faced problems such as media erosion, valve cavity jamming, valve body seizure, and short service life. Frequent replacements and high-frequency maintenance not only delay production progress but also significantly increase enterprise operating costs.