Nitriding is a thermochemical treatment that can be applied to certain steels. The process modifies their composition by adding nitrogen while being heated to high temperatures in a furnace with an ammonia atmosphere. The result is an increase in the surface hardness of the parts. It also increases resistance to corrosion and fatigue. Visually, a black color can be seen on the surfaces of nitrided steels.
In situations where working conditions require extra hardness in materials, for example in the internal parts of valves, the material nitriding process is an excellent solution.
In this case, CEXCO has applied this to ball and butterfly valves fully constructed in 316L Stainless Steel with nitriding on the internal parts. In the photo, you can see the black color of the stem, the ball, and the seats. These are the parts that suffer the most in applications where the fluid tends to wear down metals. By hardening these parts, their lifespan is extended, avoiding the need for expensive spare parts such as balls, metal seats, or stems. It also avoids having to stop production and allocate time to perform these changes.
This nitriding treatment increases the product’s cost, but in the long run, the user is aware of the savings obtained by not having to change the internal parts of the valves as frequently as some fluids require.
You can see more photos of the products in the Gallery section, under the 316L + Nitrided folder.
