Plastic Lined Industrial Valves in Michigan
Chlorine and caustic from brine wells, hydrogen chloride turned into trichlorosilane, bromine pulled from Ludington brine, hypochlorite dosed into Detroit's regional wastewater plant: Michigan's process chemistry is unusually hard on valves. A stem, a seat and a body sit in that fluid full time, and here stainless steel is a liability, not an upgrade.
Marspec Technical Products has more than half a century in plastic lined piping. We supply plastic lined valves in six patterns and fabricate the PTFE, PVDF and polypropylene lined spools they bolt to, with spools shipping nationwide from Fairhope, Alabama. We supply Swissfluid PFA- and PTFE-lined valves and build automated valve packages in house; Swissfluid USA supports its national distribution network from its facility in Stafford, Texas. Call (251) 625-4949 or contact us online with the service and we will recommend a pattern and lining.
Where lined valves do the hard work in Michigan
Chlorine, hydrogen chloride and silicon in the Saginaw Valley
Midland's chemical complex and the polysilicon plant west of Saginaw run hydrogen chloride, chlorine, caustic soda, chlorosilanes and chlorinated byproducts. Wet chlorine and hydrochloric acid together rule out nearly every alloy, so the isolation valves here are PFA lined ball and plug valves: a molded PFA lining is denser than sintered PTFE, so chlorine and HCl permeate it more slowly. Lined diaphragm valves throttle caustic and brine feed. Bromine at Ludington and Manistee attacks every common metal; PFA resists it chemically, though bromine permeates fluoropolymers over time, so we choose liner thickness for it.
Detroit: the refinery, the Downriver belt and the auto plants
The Rouge River refinery runs 140,000 barrels a day of heavy sour crude, with the sour water, spent caustic and acid handling that implies, and the Wyandotte chlor-alkali plants put chlorine, caustic, hydrochloric acid and hypochlorite on their racks. Around them the auto industry pickles steel in hydrochloric acid at Dearborn and plates in chromic, nitric and sulfuric acid. Lined plug valves ride through pickle liquor and spent acid, PFA lined ball valves isolate caustic and chlorine derivatives, and small-bore lined ball valves feed the plating baths.
Pharma at Kalamazoo, batteries at Lansing, Holland and Marshall
Active ingredient synthesis in Kalamazoo and Portage, and cell and lithium iron phosphate production at Lansing, Holland and Marshall, share a rule: no metal ions in the product. Electrolyte salts also release hydrofluoric acid at the first trace of moisture, which fluoropolymer linings resist, though HF permeates them over time. PFA lined diaphragm valves with no stem in the flow and no dead leg carry solvents and deionized water, PFA lined ball valves isolate and lined sampling valves take a closed sample.
Hypochlorite, sugar beets, mining and bleach plants
The Detroit River water resource recovery facility feeds sodium hypochlorite and sodium bisulfite continuously, and hypochlorite decomposes on iron, nickel and copper ions, so a metal wetted valve spoils the chemical; lined diaphragm valves on dosing and lined checks at the metering pumps are the fix. Sugar beet factories at Bay City, Caro, Croswell and Sebewaing cycle sulfur dioxide, ion-exchange regenerants and hot caustic and acid cleaning through lined ball and diaphragm valves, and in the Upper Peninsula the Humboldt Mill's acidic process water and the bleach plants' chlorine dioxide both belong on lined diaphragm valves.
Our lined valve line, pattern by pattern
Every pattern below comes flanged to ANSI B16.5 lined pipe, in sizes that vary by pattern, with full details on our plastic lined valves page.
Ball valves
PFA lined body and ball, quarter-turn, bubble tight, smooth draining bore. Our first choice for chlorine, hydrogen chloride, bromine, caustic and solvent isolation.
Diaphragm valves
A PTFE faced diaphragm closing on a lined weir, with PFA or PTFE body linings. Stem and bonnet stay dry, so these throttle hypochlorite, slurry and high-purity streams without a packing gland.
Plug valves
A PFA encapsulated tapered plug in a fully lined body, sealing fluoropolymer to fluoropolymer with low torque and no cavity, adjustable in line. Built for pickle liquor, spent acid and crystallizing caustic.
Butterfly valves
Lined wafer or lug bodies with a PFA encapsulated disc, 2" through 12", for brine, filtrate, dilute acid and rinse lines.
Sampling valves
Lined sampling valves draw a representative sample from a live HCl, electrolyte or API line with no dead leg and no operator exposure.
Check valves
Lined ball and disc checks stop backflow on hypochlorite, brine, acid and deionized water pumps with no metal spring or hinge to seize.
Actuated lined valves
We assemble automated packages in-house, mounting pneumatic or electric actuators, positioners, limit switches and solenoids on the lined valve and stroke testing the assembly before it ships, so the plant receives one tagged unit. Our services page lists what we mount and test.
One system: valves, spools and fittings
We quote our valves with the plastic lined pipe and fittings they bolt to, lined in PTFE, PVDF or polypropylene inside carbon steel or 304/316 stainless housings, so flange faces, gasket details and bolt torques match from end to end, with lined strainers and spectacle blinds alongside. Liner selection for each Michigan industry is on our Michigan lined pipe page, and pressure, temperature and vacuum limits are on the technical details page.
Serving Detroit, Midland, Kalamazoo and the U.P.
Spools, fittings and valves ship nationwide from Fairhope, Alabama, with service to Detroit, Dearborn, Wyandotte, Flint, Lansing, Midland, Bay City, Saginaw, Port Huron, St. Clair, Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, Holland, Ludington, Manistee, Marquette and Escanaba. Give us the media, temperature, pressure, line size and what the valve has to do. Call (251) 625-4949 or contact us online.
FAQ: Plastic Lined Industrial Valves in Michigan
Which lined valve is right for hydrogen chloride and chlorosilane service in the Midland and Saginaw area?
A PFA lined ball or plug valve. PFA resists hydrochloric acid at every concentration and wet chlorine, and its molded lining slows permeation to the steel body. For the high-purity sections that feed polysilicon, we pair them with lined diaphragm and sampling valves that add no metal ions.
Can lined valves handle bromine from the Ludington and Manistee brine operations?
Yes. Bromine attacks nearly every common alloy and most elastomers, while fluoropolymers resist it chemically; bromine does permeate them, so we specify liner thickness and venting for bromine service. We recommend PFA lined ball or plug valves for isolation and lined diaphragm valves for throttling, with a lined check at the pump.
What valve do you recommend for hypochlorite and bisulfite dosing at a Detroit-area wastewater plant?
A lined diaphragm valve for dosing, a PFA lined ball valve for isolation and unloading, and a lined check valve at each metering pump. A fully lined wetted path keeps iron and nickel ions out of the hypochlorite, which otherwise accelerate its decomposition.
Do lined valves work for the battery plants at Lansing, Holland and Marshall?
They are often the only practical option. Electrolyte salts generate hydrofluoric acid with any moisture, and cathode slurries and lithium solutions must stay free of trace metals. PFA lined ball, diaphragm and sampling valves meet both requirements, and we quote them with matching lined pipe.