Comments on: Choosing valve materials http://www.ret-monitor.com/articles/2025/choosing-valve-materials/ Specific mission-critical info for professionals Fri, 18 May 2012 09:35:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: Terry http://www.ret-monitor.com/articles/2025/choosing-valve-materials/comment-page-1/#comment-9958 Terry Wed, 28 Dec 2011 03:29:03 +0000 http://www.ret-monitor.com/articles/2025/choosing-valve-materials/#comment-9958 Metals like titanium have both good and bad characteristics as a valve material. Titanium's good characteristics as a valve material are its lightweight and temperature resistance. Its bad characteristics are a propensity to gall and a low thermal conductivity. Racing valves which must be extremely lightweight can be made hollow from separate diffusion bonded titanium parts. As the author notes, production engine valves are inertia welded from different materials to reduce cost. Inertia welding is also commonly used to join turbocharger turbine wheels to their shafts. But the most recent use of friction welding is that used to produce lightweight, hollow steel diesel pistons. These hollow, welded steel pistons are lighter and have better fatigue life than aluminum pistons. Metals like titanium have both good and bad characteristics as a valve material. Titanium’s good characteristics as a valve material are its lightweight and temperature resistance. Its bad characteristics are a propensity to gall and a low thermal conductivity.

Racing valves which must be extremely lightweight can be made hollow from separate diffusion bonded titanium parts.

As the author notes, production engine valves are inertia welded from different materials to reduce cost. Inertia welding is also commonly used to join turbocharger turbine wheels to their shafts.

But the most recent use of friction welding is that used to produce lightweight, hollow steel diesel pistons. These hollow, welded steel pistons are lighter and have better fatigue life than aluminum pistons.

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