Valve assembly with hard surface treatment

Abstract

There is provided a valve assembly comprising a valve housing. The valve housing comprises a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, a valve opening, and a valve seat surrounding the valve opening, The valve opening is disposed between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet. The valve assembly further comprises a ball valve element disposed within the valve housing, a spring arranged to urge the ball valve element onto the valve seat to close the valve opening, and a drive pin having a first end and a second end, the drive pin being aligned with the valve opening. The valve assembly is movable between a closed position, in which the ball valve element is held in the valve seat by the spring, closing the valve opening, and an open position, in which the first end of the drive pin extends through the valve opening to push the ball valve element away from the valve seat, opening the valve opening. At least one of the spring, ball valve element, valve seat, and first end of the drive pin includes a hard surface treatment. There is also provided a fluid injection system for injecting a fluid comprising a source of a fluid and a valve assembly, the source of a fluid being connected to the fluid inlet of the valve assembly.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.