S3P– Innovative Surface Treatment to Increase the Wear Resistance of Stainless Steel Components*

Abstract Austenitic and duplex stainless steels are used in a variety of industries due to their high corrosion resistance. However, this is countered by a high coefficient of friction and thus a limited wear behaviour, which restricts the technical application possibilities. Coatings or conventional hardening processes, such as solution nitriding above 1000 °C, offer a certain reduction of these wear phenomena, but are associated with the risk of delamination and/or loss of corrosion properties. In addition, the hardening effect is limited for austenitic and duplex grades. The low temperature surface hardening process below 500 °C offers the possibility to overcome these limitations. In this article the technology of this process is explained. In addition, research results show the positive influence of this treatment on the lifetime of components made of corrosion resistant steels. As a future outlook, possible properties and applications for the prospective increasing number of hydrogen applications are explained.