K-Tech

Chromium oxide ceramic material thermochemically bonded to customer specified areas on a part, including external diameters, internal diameters and some out-of-sight holes and ports. Individual ceramic particles are sub-micron in size and consist of mixtures of selected ceramic materials bonded together and to the substrate.

Benefits

• Hardness
• Low friction
• Corrosion protection from absolutely dense, pore free barriers
• Increases bond strength
• Extraordinary wear resistance
• Can be applied to complicated geometries and internal bores
• No measurable buildup on top of the plating/coating
• No pre-grinding required
• Increases plating/coating life by 4 to 10 times in most corrosive environments
• Resistant to thermal cycling/shock
• Electrical resistivity

Application & materials

For increased wear resistance, corrosion protection, and anti-galling with little dimensional change.

• Oil and gas exploration – cost effective where expensive downtime is caused by corrosion and wear, e.g. down-hole tools, mud rotors, pump sleeves, MWD equipment, valve components
• Steel industry – combat tool problems, resistant to molten zinc and tin, guide bars, pumps, bearings
• Textile industry – yarn contact components requiring extreme wear resistance and corrosion protection combined with very low friction surface
• Pump industry – pumps exposed to petrochemicals, acids, seawater, chlorines, hydrochloric and cryogenic temperatures, pistons, impellers and non-contacting pumps
• Plastics industry – PVC pipe extruder components requiring high wear resistance
• Canning industry – can machine components, e.g. guides, turrets and u-bends requiring extreme hardness and low friction

Tech 10, 12, 22, 23, 28, 28E, 60 has the ability to be applied to most ferrous and non-ferrous materials. Tech 17 has the ability to be applied to most metallurgical plating/coatings that experience porosity or cracking. Tech 40 has the ability to be applied to most ferrous except austenitic materials. The substrate material must be capable of withstanding the low process temperatures ranging from 450°-540°C (850°F to 1000°F).

Process details

Thermochemically formed ceramic coatings for the provision of wear resistance and corrosion protection, in a wide variety of industrial applications, for every type of surface.