Ensuring reliable and leak-free operation is critical in the oil and gas industry for safety, leak prevention and environmental protection.
Various types of industrial valves, including ball, gate, butterfly and wedge valves, are used as control valves and require precise and repeatable responses.
In the manufacturing, conveying, and processing sectors, these valves must provide consistent performance, often in demanding service environments, handling hard materials under pressure, exposed to extreme temperatures, and sometimes sitting idle for long periods.
The main problems of industrial valves
Industrial valve problems resulting from inadequate lubrication and sealing, abrasive contaminants, or harsh service can manifest themselves in the form of galling and scoring, seal or packing failures, corrosion, and internal and external leaks.
Proper lubrication of industrial valve components becomes critical to reduce wear, improve durability and reliability, and facilitate safe, efficient, and responsible transport of pipeline contents.
Lubrication also preserves valve seals, seats and filler materials, ensuring leak-free operation.
Molykote® Smart Lubrication™ for Industrial Valves
Molykote® Smart Lubrication™ is the proven solution for a multitude of industrial valve challenges.
These high-performance solutions include anti-seize pastes, antifriction coatings, lubricating greases and silicone compounds.
These lubricants, designed to withstand heavy loads, extreme temperatures and corrosive conditions, address the specific challenges associated with valve components.
Here is a complete list of Molykote® Smart Lubrication™ solutions for each individual industrial valve component.
Parcels and seals (filling surface)
Molykote® 111 Compound: Silicone with inert thickener, compatible with many elastomers.
Serves as a non-hardening lubricant and sealant with a wide service temperature range.
Bearing seal and seal groove (to hold the seal)
Molykote® Cu-7439 Plus High-Temperature Copper Paste: Solid copper lubricants in oil, with excellent adhesion to metals and resistance to extreme heat, high loads and corrosive conditions.
Seal sliding surfaces, seal ring
Molykote® D 321 R Dry Film Lubricant and Spray: Solid lubricants in solvent resin form, which air-dry to form an adherent lubricating film unaffected by dirt and contaminants.
Shaft and stem
Molykote® U-n Lubricating Paste: Solid lubricants in PAG oil, which offer good compatibility with rubber and act as an antifriction coating under extreme heat and heavy loads.
Antifriction Coating Molykote® 106: Solvent resin solid lubricants, which offer high load-carrying capacity and cure in a heat-cured adherent film.
Antifriction Coating Molykote® 3402C LF: Solid lubricants in a solvent-based organic binder that resist high pressure and wear and protect against corrosion.
Sphere surface
Molykote® G Paste: Solid lubricants in mineral oil, which prevent seizing, scoring, stick-slip suppression and corrosion, with high-pressure absorption capability.
Bearings (bearing wear surfaces)
Molykote® 33 Extreme Low-Temperature Bearing Grease, Light: Silicone oil with lithium soap thickener, offering reduced torque for extreme cold starts, a wide operating temperature range and resistance to oxidation, moisture and corrosive atmospheres.
Threaded connections (studs, bolts, nuts, screws)
Molykote® Antifriction Coating: Solid lubricants in a solvent resin system, applied to clean, dry assembly parts with air and heat cure options for long-term dry film lubrication.
Molykote® anti-seize pastes: Solid lubricants in a synthetic/mineral oil, applied in the field with aerosol options, resist water runoff and corrosion, aiding nondestructive assembly and disassembly.
Seat of the body
Molykote® D 321 R Dry Film Lubricant and Spray: Solvent resin solid lubricants that air-dry to form a bound lubricant film that is unaffected by dirt and contaminants.
Gate valve maintenance: real case
In a real customer application, gate valves commonly used to block or restrict the flow of raw or processed materials were put to the test.
A mineral oil-based grease, exposed to hard pipeline materials, hardened and made it difficult for the valve to operate, causing material leakage past the valve seat and seals.
The solution was found in Molykote® 111 compound, which maintains reliable lubrication under extreme conditions and ensures smooth valve operation and long-term seal integrity.
The integration of Molykote® Smart Lubrication™ solutions represents a comprehensive approach to improving valve performance and durability in oil and gas applications.
These proven and effective solutions contribute to the industry’s quest for safety, reliability and environmental responsibility.
Proper lubrication of industrial valve components becomes critical to reduce wear, improve durability and reliability, and facilitate safe, efficient and responsible transportation of pipeline contents.
Lubrication also preserves valve seals, seats and filler materials, ensuring leak-free operation.
