The second major consideration in choosing a Valve material is its corrosion resistance. Corrosion is the breakdown of a metal due to attack by various chemical reactions. We all have seen corroded bolts or rusted out fenders on a car. This rust and corrosion is a result of a chemical oxidation of the steel caused by a combination of oxygen and iron, with moisture helping to accelerate the process. In valve materials, basic exterior rusting of the valve is usually secondary to the corrosion going on within the valve due to the unique characteristics of the fluid contained inside it. Some fluids result in virtually no corrosive action to the inside of the valve. For example, steel valves in non-sour crude oil service could conceivably last forever, because the clean oil keeps the corrosion and oxidation from occurring, and the lubricity of the oil keeps the valve in tip-top shape.

Another important aspect of a Valve material