Valves can be categorized into the following basic types:

1、Ball valve, for on/off control without pressure drop, and ideal for quick shut-off since a 90o turn offers complete shut-off angle, compared to multiple turns required on most manual valves.
2、Butterfly valve, for flow regulation in large pipe diameters.
3、Choke valve, a valve that raises or lowers a solid cylinder which is placed around or inside another cylinder which has holes or slots. Used for high pressure drops found in oil and gas wellheads.
4、Check valve or non-return valve, allows the fluid to pass in one direction only.
5、Diaphragm valve, some are sanitary predominantly used in the pharmaceutical and foodstuff industry.
6、Ceramic Disc valve, used mainly in high duty cycle applications or on abrasive fluids. Ceramic disc can also provide Class IV seat leakage
7、Gate valve, mainly for on/off control, with low pressure drop.
8、Globe valve, good for regulating flow.
9、Knife valve, for slurries or powders on/off control.
10、Needle valve for accurate flow control.
11、Piston valve, for regulating fluids that carry solids in suspension.
12、Pinch valve, for slurry flow regulation.
13、Plug valve, slim valve for on/off control but with some pressure drop.
14、Spool valve, for hydraulic control
15、Thermal expansion valve, used in refrigeration and air conditioning systems.
16、Poppet valve