ARCOR® & Industrial Valves
Posted on Dec 01, 2025Industrial pipe valves manage the flow, pressure, and direction of liquids, gases, and slurries, ensuring safety, efficiency, and environmental protection across countless industries from water treatment plants to oil refineries.
With so many different applications & environments, valve design is diverse, each with specific functions. However, what is important for all types of valve (ball, gate, globe, butterfly, check & pressure relief) is that they are reliable, function & durable. This is what ARCOR® is designed to do.
What is ARCOR®
ARCOR® is a thermochemical treatment which enriches the surface of ferrous materials with Nitrogen & Carbon atoms.
It’s a Liquid (activated molten salt) method of nitrocarburizing which has many advantages. 1) great layer homogeneity 2) low risk of part distortion 3) short process times 4) Low environmental impact – circular economy & wastes recycling & 5) No H2 embrittlement
HEF designs, develops and industrializes all the equipment and consumables for a range of patented Salt Bath Nitrocarburizing processes. ARCOR®, TUFFTRIDE® & QPQ® are the trademarks typically used in the UK ARCOR® represents the latest in Liquid Nitriding technology and is only available through our Technique Surfaces companies globally, this network has over 90 plants across 21 countries.
ARCOR® enhances the surface properties of ferrous material in many ways.
1) it greatly increases corrosion resistance. 2) gives excellent abrasive & adhesive wear resistance. 3) prevents seizure of moving parts. 4) adds surface fatigue resistance. 5) increases oil retention. 6) has a decorative black finish.
Where & Why ARCOR® should be used in Valves.
Stems
There is a cost saving opportunity here to replace stainless-steel stems with ARCOR® treated mild steel. Additionally the reduction in friction and increased seizure, wear & fretting corrosion resitance improve the performance of the part.
Seats
There is also a cost saving opportunity here to replace Beryllium Copper (Br-Cu) or Aluminium Bronze (Al-Br) with ARCOR® treated mild steel.
Fitting Mechanism Components
This encompasses a multitude of parts (Plug, Ball, Disc & Gate) which are traditionally protected with either the auto-catalytic electroless nicklel (ENP) process or electroplated with Hard-Chrome (HC). ARCOR® is a low environemental impact alternative to these processes. It has superior corrosion, fatigue & wear resistance. The controlled surface porosity also improves oil retention. This superficial outer porous layer allows hydrodynamic conditions to run longer with higher contact loads. Therefore, the friction coefficient is lower & more stable than HC. Unlike Hard-chrome plating there is no risk of flaking as ARCOR® is a diffusion treatment that becomes an integral part of the base material. There is also no risk of hydrogen embrittlement with ARCOR®. It’s a ductile coating that can withstand more flexion than Hard-Chrome without cracking.
If you would like to explore the benefits & suitability of ARCOR® on your valves, please contact us.