Russian hard case acquires Western values

A Russian-developed coating technology designed to extend the lifespan of steel and alloy components made its debut on the London Stock Exchange this week.

The firm producing Hardide, a technology originally developed at Moscow State University and commercialised by an Oxfordshire-based engineering team, joined London’s Alternative Investment Market to raise funds for its ambitious expansion plans.

The newly-formed Hardide plc said it would use the cash raised by the flotation to develop its presence in the US and around the world, and on capital equipment for its Bicester production facility.

Hardide is a surface engineering technology that is claimed to deliver ultra-hardness, low friction and chemical resistance to materials coated with it.

The coating process is performed in a chemical vapour deposition furnace. Components to be treated are heated to between 500ºC and 650ºC before being subjected to a controlled mixture of gases. A chemical reaction crystallises the gases on the surface of the component to form a smooth layer of binder-free tungsten carbide.