Assessment of engine valve materials

Abstract

This paper presents an analysis of six sets of engine valves, each set consisting of one exhaust valve and one intake valve. Each pair of valves was used in an engine with different displacement and mileage. The valves were subjected to microscopic analysis, hardness measurement and chemical composition analysis using a glow discharge spectrometer and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The design and materials of the valves showed that both the intake and exhaust valves in their present form would be a strength of the engine.