How to improve the wear resistance of stainless steel? You will read more in this article!
Metals are natural and formed below the Earth, most are lustrous or shiny, and referred to as inorganic because they are made from substances that were not previously alive (unlike wood, fur, etc). They are characterized by the reflectivity of light, electrical and thermal conductivity, flexibility, and malleability. Metals can be mixed through intense production processes to create other products that vaguely mimic the metal they were made from but are unique products on their own. One such example is stainless steel which is made from mixing iron, carbon, chromium, and other non-metals to create that silver-colored high-luster product used in construction, medical equipment, and kitchen utensils, among other uses. For such a versatile product, you need to ensure the wear resistance of stainless steel.
What Is Stainless Steel?
Stainless steel is manufactured from iron, carbon, chromium, and other alloy components, such as nickel, an alloy of iron that is resistant to corrosion and rust. When other qualities are desired, it may also contain nonmetals. Stainless steel has a high degree of durability and impact resistance, with a low tendency to break at high and low temperatures. The fact that stainless steel never oxidizes or rusts, unlike other iron and steel products, is its predominant feature. Stainless steel is a preferred material for a wide range of applications due to its strength, corrosion resistance, visual appeal, and ease of maintenance.
In addition to withstanding water, stainless steel is resistant to rain and a wide range of other liquids. Depending on the chromium content, some types of stainless steel are more prone to corrosion than others, and the likelihood of rusting decreases with an inverse increase in chromium concentration. Since it is not a hard metal, stainless steel is not ideal for many applications that require that metal to possess significant strength. To produce a stronger version, the stainless steel is toughened, but this could adversely affect its corrosion resistance property resulting in stainless steel with little wear resistance. This low wear resistance of stainless steel resulting from such a hardening process might make them even less desirable.
Over the years, different hardening processes have been developed to toughen this metal without leaving stainless steel open to wear resistance. Nitriding, bronzing, and other methods have not improved the wear resistance of stainless steel.
And this is the beauty of the stainihard process: this procedure guarantees a significant improvement in the wear resistance of stainless steel, fatigue strength, and galling resistance while maintaining or occasionally even increasing its corrosion resistance. The surface of the metal is coated with nitrogen and carbon as part of the stainihard process, which is based on nitrocarburization in gas. The stainihard layer is an extended austenite (s-phase) zone that allows for the creation of compressive stresses to considerably increase the hardness and fatigue properties, and most crucially, to produce stainless steel with wear resistance.
Start using the stainihard process of improving the wear resistance of stainless steel
When you have a process that requires a high wear resistance of stainless steel, you should consider making use of the stainihard process. stainihard® is a distinctive trademark registered by Aalberts Surface Technologies Eindhoven B.V., located in The Netherlands. They are responsible for this unique and effective method of improving the wear resistance of stainless steel. Visit their website at stainihard.com today to learn more about their process.
