An error commonly made when assessing a worn component to determine the method of wear is to underrate the part played by corrosion.

Often, corrosion is the major feature in the breakdown of the system but because conditions subsequently allow the weakened surface to be eroded the problem appears to be one of wear only.

The term "CEROSION" is more applicable to these situations - the combination of corrosion and erosion working in concert.

Engineering a surface to be hard wearing will not necessarily solve the problem and in some cases may exacerbate the situation as the flakes of (now even harder) particles become dislodged - which enhances even further the abrasive nature of the erosion medium. Similarly, coating the surface with a paint system to stop corrosion will not necessarily solve the problem, since the forces of erosion will usually still be sufficient to cause break down of the paint matrix, re-exposing the metal surface and initiating the cerosion mechanism all over again.

The solution to the problem is a coating that is hard enough to resist the erosion forces and is at the same time corrosion resistant. C-Ramic coatings with their nonwetting, hard, smooth surface, provide just the right combination.

These coatings have been proven to offer long term protection - in particular, to cast iron control valves in an environment of high pressure, high velocity steam. Coatings have been installed for in excess of eight years and the components are still operating normally. Previously, cerosion regularly interfered with the operation of these valves.

If you are having difficulty establishing the exact wear mechanism and still searching for a solution, contact the experts at C-Ramic.