Deep freezing and cryogenic treatments
In modern metallurgy, deep freezing ( -85°C / -120°F) on quenched steels is used mainly to transform the retained austenite into martensite. This supplementary treatment allows us to obtain the maximum hardness of the treated material. In addition, the dimensional stability of the part is greatly increased.

A 24-hour cryogenic treatment (–190°C / –310°F) will greatly increase a part's resistance to impact, corrosion and wear, while extending its life expectancy up to 5 times.

These treatments are especially recommended for martensitic stainless steels, tool steels and parts used at high temperatures and/or subject to wear.

Diffusion heat treating
This heat treatment allows the diffusion, into the metallic substrate, of coating elements applied on a part's surface to create carbides, nitrides or aluminates.
After being heated slightly at low temperatures in an inert argon atmosphere, the part undergoes a high temperature treatment to produce a metallurgical bonding.
A wide variety of materials, used mainly in the aerospace and aeronautic industries, can benefit from this type of treatment.

Black oxiding
The purpose of this treatment is to protect the steel from corrosion by inducing a chemical reaction that produces a black layer of condensed oxide on the part’s surface.
Very resistant to corrosion and abrasion, this protective layer also produces an esthetic black finish.

Carbon restoration
This thermo-chemical treatment restores the carbon content on the surface of a molded part that has been decarburized by solidification or by a previous treatment. It is not a surface hardening process, but rather a treatment that allows the treated pieces to recover their carbon content and consequently some of its mechanical properties. Quenching is not required, but air or ambient cooling is necessary.
Carbon restoring is always performed in an endothermic atmosphere furnace where the carbon content is strictly controlled.