SSP, a US manufacturer of instrumentation fittings, valves and tubing, has announced global and proprietary rights to the Expanite® process of hardening stainless-steel fittings while improving corrosion resistance, a must in highly corrosive environments such as chemical process and oil and gas applications where fittings must not leak.
In addition to improving fitting performance, installation is easier with less make-up torque due to reduced friction, impacting worker fatigue. The Expanite process, developed and tested by Thomas S Hummelshoj at the Technical University of Denmark, uses a patented process for surface hardening of stainless steel. Expanite is not a coating, but a process that impregnates the stainless-steel surface with carbon and nitrogen.
"By adopting the Expanite process, SSP now offers industry-leading performance of our instrumentation tube fittings, especially the critical back ferrule," notes Jeff King, CEO of SSP. "Additionally, our worldwide network of distributors can be confident their properly installed, precision machined fittings and specification controlled tubing will offer leak-free, industry-standard performance."