The Physical-Technical Institute offers customers a Technology for oxynitriding steels, replacing hard chromium plating, under a commercial agreement with technical assistance and/or a licensing agreement and is looking for partners to conclude a technical cooperation agreement.

Galvanic chromium plating, used in many industries, is used to form protective layers on components.

However, the chromium plating technology and the resulting layers are characterized by:
- uneven thickness (from 10 to 25 µm) and the presence of micropores, which does not provide complete electrochemical protection against corrosion;
- insufficient coating adhesion (peeling);
- the need for large production areas and an effective exhaust system;
- a labor-intensive production process;
- the formation of harmful vapors from the surface of the baths and a particularly dangerous carcinogen, hexavalent chromium;
- the need for expensive waste treatment facilities, landfill disposal of production waste, and special transportation requirements.

Oxinitriding of steel is a modern surface treatment technology that can replace traditional hard chromium plating. This technology is aimed at improving the wear resistance, corrosion resistance, and other performance characteristics of metal products.

Main steel oxynitriding technologies:

1. Gas oxynitriding:
- Description: The process is carried out in a gaseous environment containing nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen. Treatment is carried out at a temperature of 500–600°C in special furnaces.
- Features:
- Formation of a nitride layer and oxide film on the surface of the product.
- Improved corrosion resistance.
- Advantages:
- Environmentally friendly process (no toxic waste, as with chroming).
- High productivity.

2. Plasma oxynitriding (ion):
- Description: Treatment is carried out in a vacuum chamber using plasma containing nitrogen and oxygen. Nitrogen and oxygen ions are embedded in the surface of the material.
- Features:
- Formation of a dense and uniform layer.
- Possibility of precise control of process parameters.
- Advantages:
- High wear resistance and surface hardness.
- Minimal thermal impact on the product.

3. Liquid oxynitriding:
- Description: Processing is carried out in molten salt baths containing nitrogen and oxygen compounds.
- Features:
- Formation of a protective layer through a chemical reaction between the steel surface and the bath components.
- Advantages:
- Simplicity of the process and low equipment cost.
- High processing speed.

4. Combined oxynitriding:
- Description: A combination of two or more methods, such as gas and plasma oxynitriding.
- Features:
- Increased processing efficiency by utilizing the advantages of different technologies.
- Advantages:
- Maximum customization to specific product requirements.

Steel oxynitriding is a modern alternative to hard chromium plating, providing high wear resistance, corrosion resistance, and environmental safety. The choice of a specific technology depends on the processing requirements, the type of material, and the operating conditions of the product.

A combined technology for forming protective layers, developed at the Physicotechnical Institute, can replace galvanic chromium plating. This technology involves nitriding in a glow discharge plasma followed by oxidation of the surface layer.

This technology is applicable for hardening gas spring rods, shock absorber rods, ball joints, dies, and other components.

Information on the steel oxynitriding technology, which replaces hard chromium plating and was developed at the Physicotechnical Institute, is included in the Catalog "Advanced Developments of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus" 2024, pp. 84-85.

Galvanic chromium plating, used in many industries, is used to form protective layers on components.

However, the chromium plating technology and the resulting layers are characterized by:
- uneven thickness (from 10 to 25 µm) and the presence of micropores, which does not provide complete electrochemical protection against corrosion;
- insufficient coating adhesion (peeling);
- the need for large production areas and an effective exhaust system;
- a labor-intensive production process;
- the formation of harmful vapors from the surface of the baths and a particularly dangerous carcinogen, hexavalent chromium;
- the need for expensive waste treatment facilities, landfill disposal of production waste, and special transportation requirements.

Oxinitriding of steel is a modern surface treatment technology that can replace traditional hard chromium plating. This technology is aimed at improving the wear resistance, corrosion resistance, and other performance characteristics of metal products.

Main steel oxynitriding technologies:

1. Gas oxynitriding:
- Description: The process is carried out in a gaseous environment containing nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen. Treatment is carried out at a temperature of 500–600°C in special furnaces.
- Features:
- Formation of a nitride layer and oxide film on the surface of the product.
- Improved corrosion resistance.
- Advantages:
- Environmentally friendly process (no toxic waste, as with chroming).
- High productivity.

2. Plasma oxynitriding (ion):
- Description: Treatment is carried out in a vacuum chamber using plasma containing nitrogen and oxygen. Nitrogen and oxygen ions are embedded in the surface of the material.
- Features:
- Formation of a dense and uniform layer.
- Possibility of precise control of process parameters.
- Advantages:
- High wear resistance and surface hardness.
- Minimal thermal impact on the product.

3. Liquid oxynitriding:
- Description: Processing is carried out in molten salt baths containing nitrog

The Physical-Technical Institute completed a research project, "Development of a Combined Method for Improving the Wear and Corrosion Resistance of Structural Steel Parts to Replace Galvanic Chrome Plating."
The results of this research were used in the development of this technology.

Developer: State Scientific Institution "Physical-Technical Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus".

The Physical-Technical The Institute is a leading scientific institution in the Republic of Belarus in the field of resource-saving and automated production, the development of new materials technologies, robotics, intelligent control systems, and highly effective security systems.

The institute actively develops technologies and equipment used in production.

Coatings, application technologies, and equipment:
- protective coatings designed to protect parts from corrosion in various aggressive environments, including at high temperatures;
- protective and decorative coatings used for decorative finishing of parts while simultaneously protecting against corrosion;
- special coatings used to impart specific surface properties (wear resistance, hardness, electrical insulation, magnetic properties, etc.), as well as to restore worn parts.

Foundrying technologies.
Foundrying is a branch of mechanical engineering that manufactures shaped parts and blanks by pouring molten metal into a mold whose cavity has the shape of the desired part. During the casting process, the metal in the mold solidifies as it cools, producing a casting—a finished part or blank. This casting can be further machined, if necessary (to improve dimensional accuracy and reduce roughness). Therefore, foundries are faced with the task of producing castings whose dimensions and shape are as close as possible to the dimensions and shape of the finished part.

Industrial surface engineering technologies:
- ion-beam thermal processing;
- laser processing of materials;
- carburization;
- induction heating;
- magnetic pulse processing, etc.

New materials. New materials include composite materials such as carbon fiber reinforced plastics, fiberglass reinforced plastics, basalt fiber reinforced plastics, aramid plastics, and metal composites; high-tech ceramics such as aluminum, zirconium, oxide, nitride, and carbide ceramics, among others; new building materials such as new foam glass insulation materials, road surface modifiers based on rubber powder or polymer fibers, and new types of concrete.

Metal forming.
These technologies involve changing the shape and size of workpieces by applying external forces, with the resulting change being maintained. After the pressure is removed, the shape and size of the product remain unchanged. To increase ductility, the metal is heated to a specific temperature before forming. This temperature is determined individually for each type of material, depending on its specific physical and chemical properties.

The Institute has partners in various countries around the world.

Official website of the Physical-Technical Institute

Customers interested in purchasing the Steel Oxynitriding Technology, which replaces hard chromium plating, under a commercial agreement with technical assistance and/or a licensing agreement.

Partners interested in purchasing and developing the Steel Oxynitriding Technology, which replaces hard chromium plating, under a technical cooperation agreement.