Stainless steel is a common metal used in our daily life. With the variety of types and ingredients, each metal responds to demands of different areas depending on their different properties. Austenite Stainless Steel, which includes 304 and 316 stainless steel commonly known to the public, possesses optimal corrosion resistance among common commercial stainless steels. However, the hardness of the Austenite is pretty low and vulnerable to scratching as well as abrasion, which limits its application scope.
The hardness of the Austenite could not be increased through regular heat treatment like the Martensite and the steel made from precipitation hardening. Although surface hardness of the Austenite can be increased by regular chemical heat treatment, the corrosion resistance will be decreased as well.
Enhancing surface hardness of the Austenite while maintaining its corrosion resistance at the same time is a great challenge. Yet, with the development of MIRDC in the past 3 years, surface of the Austenite is activated by gas, and the hardness is increased from less than Hv 200 to Hv 1200 through nitriding, carburizing, or carbonitriding. The corrosion resistance is maintained as well. Throughout the entire process, gas treatment is utilized. Currently, MIRDC is collaborating with leading manufacturers in other countries, moving forward to the position of OEM and process transfer. Such technology will be applied to the corrosion-resisting and wear-resisting treatment of rotors, housings, and end plates of acidic-and-alkaline pumps, scratch-resistance of SUS316 stainless steel watch cases and straps, case hardening of precision gears, etc.
Under the strikes of high-value products by top technologies as well as rough products dumped with low prices from advanced countries in the global market, the case hardening technology of the Austenite developed by MIRDC shall assist domestic manufacturers in increasing product values and becoming ones with top quality around the world. It is hoped that the stainless steel industries can bring a new light in the red ocean, and discover the blue ocean for themselves.