Hardide-T, the unique tungsten carbide-based component coating has been selected for presentation by Dr Yuri Zhuk, technical director of Hardide Coatings, at the 2008 International Conference on Tungsten, Refractory and Hardmaterials being held June 8 – 12 at National Harbor, Maryland, Washington DC, USA
The paper, entitled “HARDIDE Nanostructured Tungsten/Tungsten Carbide CVD Coating as Enabler for Engineering Systems”, details the unique combination of ultra-hard, tough, low friction and chemical resistant properties and applications of Hardide-T, one of a family of low-temperature CVD (chemical vapour deposition) tungsten/tungsten carbide coatings.
Hardide-T consists of tungsten carbide nano-particles dispersed in a metal tungsten matrix which gives the material enhanced hardness of between 1100 and 1600 Hv, and abrasion resistance up to 12 times better than hard chrome.
The coating offers an unprecedented combination of hard, tough and chemical resistant properties when applied to components made from stainless steel, some tool steels, Ni-, Co- and Cu-based alloys. Together with features such as its ability to coat internal surfaces, Hardide is proven to outperform competing technologies across many measures. The patented coating is applied to critical components in high wear and/or aggressive media environments including oil and gas downhole tools, pumps for abrasive and viscous fluids, valves and heavy-duty parts for earth moving equipment. Typically, the coating increases the life of precipitation hardened steel parts in abrasive conditions by a factor of 3.
Dr Yuri Zhuk, technical director of Hardide Coatings said: “It is an honour for our coating to be selected for presentation at such a prestigious event. The properties of Hardide-T make it an ‘enabling material’ for advanced mechanical systems especially those operating in abrasive/erosive or aggressive media environments, or suffering from impact, shock loads or deformations.
“In several applications, Hardide-T has proven to be the solution which enables the feasibility of systems designed to operate in extreme wear and erosive conditions. One example is a valve design which involved significant seat deformation during closing. Hardide proved to be the only material which could withstand the deformation and protect the seat from wear and erosion.”
The coating has been developed by Hardide Coatings, which has manufacturing plants in Houston, Texas, USA and Bicester, Oxfordshire, UK. Hardide Coatings is a Hardide plc (AIM:HDD) company.
Hardide-T is one of a family of innovative CVD tungsten/tungsten carbide coatings developed under the Hardide brand, each with different key characteristics such as hardness up to 3500Hv with Hardide-H.
Dr Zhuk’s presentation is taking place on the morning of June 12, in the session titled Nanocrystalline Tungsten IV.