The Apollo 73A-100 series two piece inline ball valve is made of carbon steel and has a latch-lock lever handle and female National Pipe Taper (NPT) threaded connections on both ends. This valve is made from carbon steel for greater strength and hardness than stainless steel and has a stainless steel latch-lock lever handle with a stainless steel nut and vinyl sleeve for manual on/off control. The lever handle can be locked in either the open or closed position. The maximum pressure is 2,000 pounds per square inch (gauge) (psig) for water, oil, and gas (WOG) for 1/4" to 1" valves, 1,500 psig for 1-1/4" to 2" valves, and 150 psig for saturated steam, and the temperature range is -20 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. The valve is inline for connecting two pipes going in the same direction and has NPT threads on both ends for creating tighter seals than straight threads. Reinforced polytetrafluoroethylene (RPTFE) seats and seals reduce the risk of valve leakage and this ball valve is standard (or regular) port for reduced valve size and cost. This valve is for use with water lines, processing plants, and agricultural applications and meets standard MSS-SP-110 for quality assurance.

Ball valves use a spherical disc to control the flow between pipes, tubes, or hoses. Flow is allowed when the hole that pierces the ball-shaped disc is in line with the inlet and outlet of the valve. Flow is blocked when the ball is horizontally swiveled 90 degrees, so that the hole of the ball is perpendicular to the opening of the valve. Ball valves can be referred to as full port or reduced port (also known as regular or standard port) depending on the inner diameter of the valve. A ball valve is full port if the hole of the ball is the same size as the inner diameter of the connecting pipeline (resulting in lower friction) and is reduced port if the hole of the valve is one pipe size smaller than the pipe, resulting in less flow through the valve than through the shaft of the pipe. Ball valves may have a handle or lever that aligns with the ball’s position (open or closed) for manual operation. They are primarily used in air, gas, liquid, and steam applications.

Apollo manufactures ball, mixing, and relief valves, actuators, water gauges, marine fittings, heating and plumbing products, and backflow prevention devices. The company, founded in 1928 and headquartered in Matthews, NC, meets International Organization for Standardization ISO/IEC 17025:2005 and makes products that meet ISO and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards.