5-times higher hardness with BORINOX®
Today, stainless steel is widely used in all sectors of industry. Stainless steel originated in the desired for materials that are rust-free, as well as heat and acid resistant. Modern, high-alloyed steel varieties meet these requirements. The limiting factor in high-alloyed stainless steel varieties is usually insufficient hardness combined with a lack of wear protection.
In modern industrial systems, high demands are made of the hardness of employed materials. Hardened high-performance materials are resistant to wear, ensure operational reliability and make the production process more efficient and cheaper in the long-term. The shared problem is that current procedures, for example, nitriding to increase the hardness of the surface, also destroy the corrosion properties of stainless steel by way of undesirable precipitation. Coating such as hard-chrome or electroless nickel are not food-safe and tend, when point loaded, to blister easily and result in the contamination of the product.
The advantages of the BORINOX® procedure
BORINOX® makes the surface of stainless steel at least 5 times harder. After the BORINOX® treatment for stainless steel hardening, the surface hardness lies between 1.000 and 1.700HV, depending on material, and is thus many times harder than, for example, a hardened knife blade. The gas-based low-pressure procedure diffuses carbon or a carbon and nitrogen combination into the surface of the stainless steel. The forced solution results in the formation of a highly functional, extremely stable diffusion zone with a particularly high level of hardness and outstanding tribological-corrosive properties.
Properties of materials treated with BORINOX®
Hardening with BORINOX® improves the friction coefficient and eliminates the cold welding tendency of stainless steel partners. Since the treatment is a specialist procedure that is implemented at very low temperatures, there is no distortion. All parts can be manufactured to their final dimensions and subsequent grinding processes are not required. The corrosion resistance of the treated steel varieties remains inherent and may be improved.
Steel grades suitable for hardening
The BORINOX® procedure can be used with many steel varieties in order to improve their properties. In this way, austenitic steels such as AISI 301, AISI 304, AISI 316(LN), AISI 316Ti, AISI 319L, AISI 904L are particularly well-suited for treatment. But also duplex steels such as AISI 318LN (UNS 2205) or martensitic precipitation hardeners such as the 17-4PH can effectively be protected from wear using BORINOX®.
Applications for BORINOX®
Typical areas of use can be found in the automotive industry, in pump and tap fitting technology, in the food-processing industry, in materials handling technology, medicine and other areas.
