The Kolsterising~R process is a proven method for the surface hardening of austenitic stainless steel by the diffusion of carbon. Developed in the Netherlands twenty years ago, the technology is now being further developed in North America. This paper intends to highliglit the improvements typically seen in key mechanical properties, including resistance to galling, wear resistance, fatigue life, and resistance to pitting and stress corrosion cracking. Untypically, due to the nature of the process, these properties are generally improved without the usual associated reduction in corrosion resistance. Property improvements will be demonstrated using both new and exisiting data from Europe and North America.
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