Ceramic ball valves

A ceramic ball valve is a quarter-turn valve whose ball and seats are made of engineered ceramic, usually zirconia or alumina, instead of metal or rubber. In fully lined designs the body liners are ceramic too, so the medium touches no metal. The ceramic parts resist abrasion by solid particles and attack by acids, alkalis and chlorides, so the valve keeps sealing in slurry, gas-solid and corrosive service where metal and rubber-lined valves wear out quickly

Industrial ceramic valves are different from the ceramic disc cartridges used in household taps. This page covers valves for process plants: mining and mineral processing, hydrometallurgy, coal gasification, flue gas desulfurization, titanium dioxide, polysilicon and other chemical duties

KOWOV, the ceramic-valve brand of Yantai KingWay Science & Technology Co., Ltd., designs and builds ceramic ball valves in Yantai, China. The range below covers on-off and control duties from DN15 upward, from ambient temperature to high-temperature, high-pressure service

Which ceramic ball valve fits your duty?

Model	Typical duty	Wetted parts and seal	Size	Pressure	Temperature	Limit or check	Data sheet
FCCV1 standard	On-off and control in abrasive, corrosive slurries: FGD, lime and gypsum, mineral slurry	Ceramic ball, seats, body liners and flange faces; ceramic-to-ceramic seal, Class IV or better	DN15-DN250	PN10-PN50 / Class 150-300	-40 to 180 °C	Differential pressure up to 2.0 MPa at every size; seals in both directions	FCCV1 PDF
FCCV2 high-temperature	On-off and control above 180 °C or with thermal shock: polysilicon, petrochemical, high-temperature FGD	Ceramic ball and seats ground as a pair; hard seal with no graphite or PTFE rings; Class IV or better	DN15-DN250	PN10-PN50 / Class 150-300	-40 to 456 °C	Above Class 300, see the FCCV5	FCCV2 PDF
FCCV3 PTFE-lined	Strongly corrosive, particle-free media: chlor-alkali, chemical, pharmaceutical	Ceramic ball; PTFE- or PFA-lined body; PTFE seat	DN15-DN200	PN10-PN16 / Class 150	-40 to 150 °C	Particle-free media only; crystals and fines count as solids	FCCV3/FCCV4 PDF
FCCV4 anti-deflection	Control and first-stage pressure letdown at high differential pressure: coal-chemical black water, soda ash	Ceramic ball; orifice seat that splits the flow and stages the pressure drop	DN25-DN250	PN10-PN160 / Class 150-900	-40 to 456 °C	Number of pressure-reduction stages is calculated for each duty	FCCV3/FCCV4 PDF
FCCV5 high-temperature, high-pressure	On-off and pressure relief with fast-moving solids: lock hoppers, deslagging	Oversized ceramic ball, wide scraper seats, all-hard seal; dovetail-groove body seal	DN25-DN300	PN63-PN160 / Class 300-900	-40 to 456 °C	No visible leakage when tested to GB/T 26480; shutoff class as ordered	FCCV5 PDF
FCCV6 single-seat	On-off and control of viscous, crystallizing and scaling slurries: TiO2, salt chemical, mining	Ceramic ball with one scraper seat and no body cavity; ANSI Class VI in the catalogue	DN25-DN400	PN10-PN50 / Class 150-300	-40 to 220 °C	Seals in one flow direction; install as marked	FCCV6/FCCV7 PDF
FCCV7 precision control	Low-flow control and dosing of corrosive, abrasive media	Slotted ceramic ball	Per order	Up to Class 300	Up to 180 °C	Delivered data lists Cv below 10	FCCV6/FCCV7 PDF
FCCV8 double lining	Volatile, corrosive and hazardous media: chemical, salt chemical, pharmaceutical	Ceramic flow passage backed by a moulded PTFE lining	DN15-DN250	Up to Class 300	-40 to 180 °C	The PTFE backing is a second corrosion barrier behind the ceramic	FCCV8/FCCV/ELCV PDF
FCCV unlined hard ceramic	Softer particles and lighter erosion in media that 304/316 stainless steel withstands	Ceramic ball and seats, sealing ceramic to ceramic; stainless steel body in contact with the medium	DN15-DN250	Up to Class 300	-40 to 180 °C	Only where 304/316 stainless steel resists the medium	FCCV8/FCCV/ELCV PDF
ELCV economical	Steel, power plant and lithium battery duties that need ceramic sealing surfaces at lower cost	Ceramic ball and seats; floating-ball and fixed-ball versions	DN15-DN250	PN10-PN50 / Class 150-300	-40 to 180 °C	For heavy wear, choose the FCCV1	FCCV8/FCCV/ELCV PDF

Final selection always depends on the medium, solids content, temperature, pressure, differential pressure and actuation duty. Size, pressure and temperature are the maximums published for each series; they do not all apply at once, and the combination is confirmed for each order. The data sheets are pages of the 2026 KOWOV catalogue; where a figure differs from this table, the product page is current

How a ceramic ball valve is built

• Ceramic wetted path. In fully lined designs, often called ceramic-lined ball valves, the ball, the seats and the body liners are ceramic, so the medium does not touch metal in the flow path. The FCCV1, FCCV2 and FCCV8 are built this way, and on the FCCV1 a ceramic flange face also keeps the medium away from the metal flange. The FCCV3 pairs a ceramic ball with a PTFE-lined body, and the unlined FCCV leaves its stainless steel body in contact with the medium
• Matched sealing surfaces. The ball and seats are ground together as a pair, which is what gives a ceramic-to-ceramic seal its tightness
• Scraper-type seats. A broad sealing surface and a scraper edge wipe particles and deposits off the ball as it turns
• Bidirectional sealing. The symmetrical FCCV1 body seals in both directions, so there is no flow-direction restriction
• Live-loaded packing. Springs keep the packing force constant as the packing wears
• Stem material to suit the medium. Options include 316/316L stainless steel, HC alloy, Monel and structural ceramics

Ceramic materials

Different ceramics suit different media and temperatures. The figures below are from the KOWOV catalogue

• Zirconia is the toughest oxide ceramic. Under stress, some of its tetragonal grains transform to the monoclinic phase and expand slightly, which absorbs energy and closes cracks. That is why it is used for balls and seats that must seal tightly and resist particle impact. Its thermal expansion, about 10-12 µm/m·°C, is also close to that of steel, which suits it to shrink-fitting into a metal body
• Alumina is harder but much less tough, and is generally the lower-cost option. It expands less than steel, about 8-9 µm/m·°C
• Silicon nitride combines high strength with the best thermal-shock resistance of the four, so it is the choice where temperatures change sharply

Where ceramic ball valves are used

• Mining and mineral processing: mineral slurry handling, tailings paste backfill, hydrometallurgy
• Coal gasification: black water flashing, coal gasification, slag water recirculation
• Power and environment: flue gas desulfurization, fly ash handling, lime slurry control
• Chemicals and materials: titanium dioxide, polysilicon, sodium bicarbonate slurry

See all applications

Field results

• FGD in power plants. KOWOV ceramic valves have been used in power plant FGD systems for more than two decades, with references supplied since 2003. In selected FGD applications, documented service life has reached up to eight years for on-off valves and up to five years for control valves
• Paste backfill. At one mine's backfill plant, a DN100 electrically actuated ceramic control ball valve commissioned in January 2011 has recorded a service life of at least eight years
• Steel pickling. Supplied to Shagang since 2009 and Baosteel since 2011, and to steel plants in Vietnam, India and Turkey. On-off valves have reached 10 years and control valves 5 years in service

Service life depends on the medium, flow velocity, pressure drop, solids content, valve design and operating frequency

Read the applications: flue gas desulfurization, black water flashing, paste backfill, pyrometallurgy and steel pickling

Standards and quality

Yantai KingWay Science & Technology, the company behind KOWOV, was the lead drafting organisation of T/CMES 20023-2025, Ceramic Ball Valves: Technical Specifications and Quality Grading, published by the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society on 25 December 2025, and a drafting organisation of JB/T 10529-2020 for ceramic sealed valves. Quality, environmental and safety management certificates, the special equipment production licence and the FCCV type-test certificate are on Qualifications

• ISO 9001
• ISO 14001
• ISO 45001
• Special equipment production licence
• FCCV type-test certificate

When a ceramic ball valve is not the right choice

• Outside the published ratings. For example, the PTFE-lined FCCV3 is limited to 150 °C. For hotter duties, the hard-sealed FCCV2 or FCCV5 is the relevant design
• Severe mechanical impact or pipe stress. Ceramics are very hard but more brittle than metals. The valve must be installed without excessive pipe stress, and heavy mechanical impact should be avoided
• Very large line sizes. Most of these ball valves are published up to DN250, the FCCV5 up to DN300 and the single-seat FCCV6 up to DN400. For DN300 and DN400 lines, other ceramic valve types such as the FAAV (up to DN400) are also worth comparing
• Clean utility service. Where there are no abrasive solids and no aggressive chemistry, a standard metal valve is usually the more economical choice

What damages a ceramic ball valve in service

Most field failures of ceramic ball valves come from a few causes, and each can be avoided

• Thermal shock. Ceramic cannot relieve thermal stress by deforming, so a sudden temperature change can crack the ball or seats. Keep heating and cooling to about 120 °C per minute or less, preheat before admitting hot media, and do not switch directly between hot and cold media. Where sharp temperature swings are unavoidable, consider silicon nitride
• Water hammer. A fast-closing valve sends pressure waves along the line, and repeated waves can fatigue ceramic parts. Allow a straight run of at least 16 pipe diameters downstream of a fast-acting valve, or slow the stroke. By contrast, collapsing cavitation bubbles and particle impacts are local loads that zirconia and silicon nitride withstand well
• Debris and forced operation. Sand, weld slag, wire or rags caught between ball and seat, or slurry left to set during a shutdown, can jam the valve. Fit a strainer upstream and flush the line before a shutdown. Never free a jammed valve with a pipe wrench or extension bar: work it gently back and forth, or take it out of line and clean it
• Poor-quality ceramic. Impure powder, dry pressing, a poorly controlled sintering curve or missing inspection leave pores and micro-cracks that grow under load. Check the maker's processes; T/CMES 20023-2025 sets requirements for each step
• Rough installation. Forcing a valve between misaligned flanges, or striking the body to free it, can break the ceramic. Align the pipework before fitting the valve

Other KOWOV ceramic valves

• FCRV ceramic C rotary valve: on-off and control in viscous, caking, scaling and large-particle media
• FERV ceramic eccentric rotary valve: isolation and regulation of slurries and multiphase media
• FCSV ceramic slide valve: flat slider and fixed seat with unidirectional Class IV shutoff
• FCGV ceramic globe valve: precise regulation and multi-stage pressure reduction
• FAAV ceramic A valve: fully ceramic-lined, hard-sealed shutoff; DN25-DN400
• FIBV1 ceramic inflatable butterfly valve: tight sealing in gas-solid media
• ESFV1 and FRFV ceramic feed valves: metering powders and fine particles
• Ceramic-lined pipe: wear-resistant pipework for the same abrasive lines

How to specify a ceramic ball valve

Send us the following and we will recommend a model and configuration:

• the medium, solids content, particle size and main minerals
• pH and chloride content
• operating temperature and any thermal shock
• line pressure and differential pressure
• on-off or control duty, and cycling frequency
• line size and flange standard (ASME B16.5, HG, DIN or JIS)
• actuation: manual, pneumatic or electric

Frequently asked questions