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Erosion or corrosion - which is killing your valve part?

Maintained by Carbidea · Last updated August 2026

They eat the same part but are different enemies — and the fix is different for each. Three questions separate them before you order a replacement:

• 1. The surface — grooves and waves that follow the flow = erosion; spongy, pitted, directionless texture = corrosion (binder leached out).
• 2. The location — damage only where velocity is high (orifice, seat at partial opening, trim edge) = erosion; damage anywhere fluid touches, even dead-flow areas = corrosion.
• 3. The fluid — acidic, sour (H₂S) or oxidizing media put corrosion on the table; solids plus high ΔP put erosion on the table. Both present = erosion-corrosion, which removes material far faster than either alone.

What fixes each: low-angle erosion → harder fine-grain grade · high-angle/impact erosion → tougher grade, more binder · erosion in extreme ΔP → geometry first (multi-stage trim, larger ports), material second · corrosion/binder leaching → nickel-binder grade, no hardness grade fixes it · combined → nickel-binder with high hardness plus geometry review.

Send a close-up photo of the failed surface, media and pH, temperature, pressure drop — that separates erosion from corrosion in one round. Quote within 1–2 business days.