Stainless Steel 316 Ball Valve — High Pressure 3200 WOG (220 bar), NPT Thread, Three-Piece

The 3,200 WOG SS316 ball valve is the isolation component for higher pressure services in small diameters: with a working pressure of 3,200 psi (220 bar) at ambient temperature — more than three times the nominal pressure of a standard PN64 threaded ball valve — it covers high-pressure industrial hydraulic systems, high-pressure compressed gas systems, hydrostatic test benches, and any application where pressures significantly exceed the limit of conventional ball valves.

The three-piece SS316 body allows complete field disassembly for inspection and seat replacement without removing the valve from the line — a critical advantage in high-pressure installations where access for maintenance is limited. Stock available in ½" to 2"; diameters up to 4" manufactured on request.

3200 WOG — what it means and why it matters

The term WOG (Water, Oil, Gas) is the North American working pressure designation for threaded ball valves. A valve marked as 3,200 WOG can withstand 3,200 psi working pressure with any of these three fluids at ambient temperature (100 °F / 38 °C). The equivalent in metric units:

• 3,200 WOG = 220 bar = 22 MPa at ambient temperature
• Comparative: a standard PN64 ball valve can withstand 64 bar — the 3,200 WOG valve can withstand 3.4 times more pressure
• Comparative: an ANSI 300 flanged valve can withstand 51 bar — the 3,200 WOG valve can withstand 4.3 times more pressure

This higher working pressure is achieved through a thicker-walled body, a sphere with a larger diameter relative to the body, and stronger connecting bolts between the three pieces — all in the same compact threaded valve format.

Three-piece design — maintenance in high pressure

The three-piece design is especially valuable in high-pressure valves where complete valve replacement involves working with high-pressure threaded connections and the risk of damaging the threads when frequently disassembling and reassembling. With the three-piece design:

• Worn seats are replaced by opening the central body — without touching the pipe's threaded connections
• The sphere can be visually inspected for scratches or damage that might affect the tight seal
• The stem packing can be replaced in the field if it leaks, without removing the valve from the system
• The side caps remain threaded to the pipe during maintenance — maintaining the integrity of the high-pressure connections

Construction materials

• Body: Three-piece in SS316 stainless steel with thicker walls than standard models — specifically designed to withstand 220 bar at ambient temperature
• Ball: SS316 stainless steel with mirror polished finish — larger diameter relative to the body for greater sealing area under high differential pressure
• Seats: Virgin PTFE — maintains tight sealing at 3,200 WOG working pressures. The seat load generated by high differential pressure improves sealing rather than degrading it
• Stem: SS316 stainless steel with PTFE packing and anti-blowout design — the stem cannot be ejected by internal pressure in case of packing failure, complying with high-pressure valve safety requirements
• Connection: NPT tapered thread (ANSI B1.20.1) — tapered NPT threads provide adequate mechanical sealing for high pressure with PTFE tape or thread sealant
• Handle: SS316 stainless steel with lock in open and closed position
• Actuator mount: Integrated ISO 5211

Technical specifications

• Type: Quarter-turn floating ball
• Body design: Three-piece body
• Body material: SS316 stainless steel
• Ball: Polished SS316
• Stem: SS316 with anti-blowout design
• Seats: Virgin PTFE
• Stem packing: PTFE
• Connection: NPT tapered thread (ANSI B1.20.1)
• Stocked diameters: ½" (DN15), ¾" (DN20), 1" (DN25), 1½" (DN40), 2" (DN50) — immediate delivery
• Diameters on request: 2½" (DN65), 3" (DN80), 4" (DN100) — manufacturing time upon consultation
• Working pressure: 3,200 psi (220 bar / 22 MPa) at ambient temperature (38 °C)
• Pressure reduction with temperature: Working pressure reduces at higher temperatures — consult pressure-temperature chart for specific service
• Operating temperature: -20 °C to +180 °C with PTFE seat
• Flow: Full Port
• Actuator mount: ISO 5211

Pressure comparison — Cematic threaded SS316 ball valves

Installation — correctly sealing NPT thread at 220 bar

At pressures of 220 bar, NPT thread sealing is critical — a poor seal at this pressure can result in a dangerous leak. Specific recommendations for high-pressure installation:

• High-strength liquid thread sealant: For services above 100 bar, anaerobic liquid thread sealant (Loctite 567, Hernon 425, or equivalent) provides greater pressure resistance than PTFE tape alone — the sealant hardens within the thread and creates a structural seal. Verify sealant compatibility with the specific fluid.
• High-density PTFE tape: If PTFE tape is used, apply a minimum of 4–5 turns in the direction of the thread with uniform tension. Standard PTFE tape is sufficient for pressures up to 150–160 bar — above that range, liquid sealant is preferable.
• Verified tightening torque: Do not overtighten — NPT threads in SS316 can be damaged by excessive torque. Correct NPT thread sealing is achieved with the moderate torque specified for each diameter, not the maximum possible torque.
• Hydrostatic test before commissioning: In high-pressure systems, always perform a hydrostatic test at 1.5× the working pressure (330 bar in this case) before commissioning the system with the actual fluid.

Chemical compatibility of SS316 at high pressure

• ✅ High-pressure natural gas and LPG — high-pressure pipelines, compression stations
• ✅ Nitrogen, argon, helium, and industrial gases at high pressure
• ✅ High-pressure hydrogen — H₂ storage and distribution systems
• ✅ High-pressure water — hydrostatic systems, pressure washing, high-pressure reverse osmosis
• ✅ High-pressure hydraulic oils — industrial hydraulic systems
• ✅ Cutting fluids and coolants in high-pressure machinery
• ✅ Supercritical CO₂ — supercritical extraction, high-pressure food industry
• ⚠️ High-pressure steam: check pressure-temperature chart for specific pressure and temperature combination
• ⚠️ Chlorides at high temperature and pressure: risk of accelerated pitting in SS316 — consult
• ❌ HF, concentrated acids: use special materials

Main applications

• High-pressure industrial hydraulic systems: Isolation of hydraulic circuits in presses, injection molding machines, stamping machines, and forming machinery operating at pressures of 100–220 bar. The 3,200 WOG SS316 ball valve is the standard for isolation valves in hydraulic systems where the fluid is oil with traces of water or where stainless steel is required for hygiene or contamination reasons.
• High-pressure compressed gas: Isolation in distribution systems for nitrogen, argon, CO₂, and other compressed gases in cylinders and high-pressure manifolds in laboratories, process plants, and safety systems. The 3,200 WOG valve covers typical industrial gas cylinder pressures (150–200 bar).
• Hydrostatic test benches: Isolation and control valves in test benches for pipes, valves, pressure vessels, and mechanical components. Test benches typically operate at 1.5× the nominal pressure of the tested component — to test ANSI 600 components (102 bar), the bench operates at ~150 bar, within the range of the 3,200 WOG valve.
• High-pressure hydrogen: Hydrogen storage and distribution systems for fuel cell vehicles and production plants operate at 350 or 700 bar — in secondary and service circuits at pressures up to 200 bar, the SS316 3,200 WOG valve covers the service with the caution of verifying PTFE compatibility with hydrogen at the specific pressure.
• High-pressure reverse osmosis: Reverse osmosis systems for seawater operate at pressures of 55–80 bar — within the range of the 3,200 WOG valve. For these systems, SS316 resists seawater and PTFE covers the operating temperature.
• Chemical industry — pressure reactors: Isolation of process lines in high-pressure reactors (ammonia synthesis, catalytic hydrogenation, pressure polymerization) where service and sampling lines operate at elevated pressures.
• Supercritical CO₂: Supercritical extraction systems in the food industry (decaffeination, essential oil extraction) and pharmaceutical industry that operate at pressures of 80–200 bar. Supercritical CO₂ requires SS316 and PTFE seats — both compatible in this product.

For the complete range of threaded SS316 ball valves, see NPT threaded ball valve category →