TECTULby IMR

Fluid conveyance · Bronze and brass ball valves

TECHNICAL DATA SHEET

FT-TC-VAL-BOLA-BRONCE-001

Issue date: August 4, 2026 · Rev. 001

Check the current version

Threaded bronze and brass ball valves — 600 WOG (CWP) per MSS SP-110

TECTUL · Dispatch across Colombia · Exports to Central & South America

NPT threaded ball valves with a cast bronze ASTM B584 C84400 body, chrome-plated brass ball ASTM B124 C37700 or ASTM B16 C36000, silicon bronze stem ASTM B371 C69300 and reinforced PTFE seat. The line's reference rating is 600 WOG/CWP (41.4 bar) at ≤38 °C per MSS SP-110: a cold pressure certified by the manufacturer, not an ASME Class. This sheet gathers the dimensional table of the two-piece full-port threaded pattern, the dual point of 150 psi saturated steam at 185.5 °C, and the difference between the full-port references (Napoli, 1/4″–4″) and the compact reduced-port ones (yellow handle, mini female-female, mini male-female, terminal).

SKU VT-59187 (bronze Napoli ball valve) · 6 bronze and brass references, full and reduced port, 1/4″–4″ · sold by the unit

1. Technical specifications

Materials by component

TECTUL catalog references in bronze and brass

On the compact references (yellow handle, mini female-female, mini male-female and terminal) the product page does not state the exact body alloy: they are brass or bronze bodies depending on supplier and lot, and the ASTM designation is confirmed on quotation. The "bronze shutoff cock" reference is published in the catalog with no diameters: its dimensional scope is confirmed on quotation.

Reference dimensions — threaded NPT bronze, two-piece, full port

Dimensional series of the reference threaded model (NIBCO T-585-70, cast bronze C84400 body, conforming to MSS SP-110), taken as manufacturer catalog evidence — not necessarily the exact dimension of each real TECTUL supplier. For 2-1/2″, 3″ and 4″ the face-to-face dimension is confirmed on quotation of the specific reference. The compact references (yellow handle, mini and terminal) have their own, shorter envelope, also confirmed on quotation.

General specifications

2. The 600 WOG (CWP) rating: what it means and how far it goes

WOG and CWP are the same number, and it is not an ASME Class

When the body of a bronze ball valve reads 600 WOG, that number is the Cold Working Pressure (CWP): the maximum allowable pressure with water, oil or non-flammable gas (Water-Oil-Gas), measured cold, between −29 °C and +38 °C (−20 °F to 100 °F). WOG and CWP are commercial synonyms for the same value. It is not an ASME B16.34 Class: a class is a full pressure-temperature table by material group, with a different value at each temperature step; WOG is a single number the manufacturer certifies at the cold reference temperature. MSS SP-110 —the standard governing this family— requires each valve to declare its "Pressure-Temperature Ratings" section, but does not itself publish a mandatory derating table for the whole standard. That is why two equally MSS SP-110-compliant bronze valves can carry different ratings.

The verified dual point of the bronze line: 600 WOG cold / 150 psi in steam

The most complete data pair TECTUL could verify in a manufacturer catalog conforming to this standard, for a C84400 bronze body, is the following:

Both points come from the manufacturer's catalog (not a TECTUL average or interpolation); the 185.5 °C saturation temperature is obtained from the saturated steam table, not from the catalog. The curve between the two points is neither linear nor published by the standard: an intermediate value requires the specific quoted reference's own manufacturer curve.

What the 600 WOG figure does allow you to decide

Even without a universal derating table, the pair of points above allows a conservative bound on almost any water, compressed air or oil selection in a typical Colombian installation: below 10.3 bar and 185.5 °C the valve is inside the manufacturer's published working envelope, because 10.3 bar is the pressure the line sustains at the worst declared thermal condition. That is the bounding criterion used in the following example.

The real thermal limit is set by the seat, not by the bronze

C84400 bronze is not what cuts this valve's service temperature: the body withstands considerably more than the seat does. What governs is the polymer:

Above these ranges PTFE loses its sealing elasticity (creep) long before the bronze body fails from pressure. That is why the body's "cold" rating is almost never the number that governs at high temperature: the seat governs.

3. Construction: full port, reduced port and blowout-proof stem

Two threaded pieces versus a compact one-piece body

The Napoli reference is two pieces threaded together (body + cap): the cap unscrews from the body and gives access to the ball and seat, although doing so requires removing the valve from the line or installing unions upstream and downstream. It is the most widely used bronze construction on water and compressed air lines. The yellow handle, mini female-female, mini male-female and terminal references are compact one-piece bodies: cheaper and shorter, but not serviceable — when the seat fails, the whole valve is replaced. Their natural place is therefore service-connection shutoff, drain points and light domestic or commercial installations, not continuous process lines.

Full port and reduced port: which is which in this catalog

In a full port valve the ball bore equals the pipe's nominal diameter: the fluid sees no restriction and head loss is practically that of an equivalent straight run. In a reduced port valve the bore is one or two steps smaller than the connection, allowing a far more compact and economical body in exchange for appreciable head loss and a higher local velocity through the bore.

When head loss is part of the hydraulic calculation —pumping lines, fire networks, suctions— full port is specified. For general shutoff at small diameters the difference is rarely critical.

Blowout-proof stem

The C69300 silicon bronze stem is fitted from inside the body, with a shoulder that bears against the body before reaching the packing. Even if the packing fails or the gland nut loosens, internal pressure cannot eject the stem outward: it only produces a leak the gland can control. This is the construction explicitly declared by the reference bronze line under MSS SP-110 and the de facto standard in process ball valves. On that geometry, moderate retightening of the gland nut usually stops a stem leak without dismantling anything.

NPT threading: what ruins a bronze body

The cast bronze body is the weak part against over-tightening. The NPT thread is tapered and seals by interference, so torque rises very fast on the last turns; past the sealing point that torque becomes hoop stress on the body's mouth and can crack it. Seal with PTFE tape or a fluid-compatible sealant, tighten by hand to the stop and finish with a wrench only for the turns needed to seal, always holding the valve by the hex of the end being threaded — never by the central body or the handle.

4. Frequently asked questions

How much pressure does a 1/2″ bronze ball valve withstand?

The reference line in this sheet is certified at 600 WOG (CWP): 600 psi, 41.4 bar, with water, oil or non-flammable gas, cold (up to 38 °C). That figure is the same across all diameters of the line, from 1/4″ to 4″: on bronze ball valves the rating does not drop with diameter as it does in other families. What changes with diameter is operating torque and weight, not allowable pressure.

Is a bronze ball valve suitable for steam?

The reference bronze line publishes a rating of 150 psi (10.3 bar) in saturated steam, corresponding to 185.5 °C. So yes, it accepts steam, but at a fraction of the WOG figure stamped on the body. Never use the 600 WOG as a steam pressure. And bear in mind the ball valve is an on-off device: it is not specified for throttling steam, because partial opening erodes the PTFE seat very quickly.

Can I use this bronze valve on a domestic fuel gas network?

The "G" in WOG refers to non-flammable gas. A fuel gas network requires valves specifically certified for that service under the applicable regulation, and the WOG rating does not grant that certificate. For fuel gas you specify the gas-certified reference, not a generic bronze water-line ball valve.

What is the difference between the Napoli ball valve and the mini or yellow-handle ones?

The Napoli is two threaded pieces and full port, with the complete 1/4″ to 4″ range: it is the line valve. The mini female-female, mini male-female and yellow-handle valves are compact one-piece bodies with reduced port on several of their diameters, up to 2″ maximum: they are for domestic shutoff, service connections, drains or instrumentation take-offs. If head loss enters the hydraulic calculation, the Napoli is specified.

Why is the stem silicon bronze rather than the same brass as the ball?

Because the stem is the part loaded in torsion every time the valve is operated and the one that takes the thrust of internal pressure. Silicon bronze C69300 (ASTM B371) has higher mechanical strength and better dezincification behavior in water than the free-cutting brass of the ball, which in turn is chosen for machinability and because it takes hard chrome plating well.

5. Application notes

6. Technical notice and limitation of liability