- SURFACE HARDENING OF STAINLESS STEEL NANO-S™ -

Stainless steels have excellent corrosion resistance but possess relatively low strength and wear resistance. NANO-S™ expands their application range to include components that are subjected to intensive wear.

NANO-S™ is a surface hardening process that improves the wear and galling resistance of stainless steel components without affecting inherent corrosion resistance. The process diffuses nitrogen and/or carbon into the surface of the steel, creating a new phase structure, the S-Phase, which provides extremely high hardness. Because NANO-S™ is a fully controlled process, there is no formation of chromium nitrides/carbides and consequently no loss of corrosion inhibiting properties. The treatment produces a hardened layer that is ductile and up to 25 μm deep (0.001″).

Achieved at temperatures below 932 °F (500 °C), NANO-S™ does not induce distortion, which eliminates final machining. Finished parts are uniformly hardened even inside small bores, tight grooves, and at sharp edges.

NANO-S™ Advantage

• No need for pre-processing parts preparation. In-furnace de-passivation and nitriding
• Excellent wear resistance
• Improves fatigue strength
• Retains intrinsic corrosion properties
• Prevents galling
• Does not alter the alloy’s chemical composition
• Has no effect on the steel’s non-magnetic nature
• No change in colour, shape or size
• Controls the thickness of the compound (white) layer and its properties
• Eliminates closed nitride networks within the diffusion zone
• Excellent control of case depth
• Uniformly hardened even small bores, tight grooves and sharp edges
• Excellent control of the surface hardness
• Very high level of process repeatability
• Green technology, no waste pollution