New Hardox® HiAce meets wear challenges in acid environments

24 July 2020

The Hardox® wear plate product range of abrasion-resistant steel has a worldwide reputation for being both hard and tough, fighting wear in the most severe conditions. Hardox® HiAce is the latest product in the range, targeted at applications in acidic and corrosive environments.

The recycling business poses particular challenges to steel. Municipal solid waste, often referred to simply as garbage, is one example of a material that creates a low pH acidic environment that accelerates wear in garbage truck bodies and refuse containers. Other conditions that have the same effect are when transporting wood chips and if chemicals such as sulfates and chlorides are present.
Hardox® HiAce has been developed to withstand these conditions. At low pH levels, the wear mechanism is different than in a more pH-neutral environment. The acidity oxidizes the steel’s surface, making it more prone to wear even if the body or container is made with a hard material.

Hardox® HiAce introduces new opportunities to fight acidity and corrosion

Hardox® HiAce drastically slows down the oxidation process, allowing the full hardness of the material to counteract wear. In a regular environment, Hardox® HiAce will perform the same as a 450 HBW steel. But in conditions with lower pH levels, the equipment service life is up to 3 times longer compared to a 400 HBW steel.
Apart from the additional wear resistance in acidic environments, Hardox® HiAce has the toughness it takes to perform as a structural material in garbage trucks, recycling containers, tipper and dump bodies and other heavy-duty equipment.
Hardox® HiAce also works in freezing conditions, with a guaranteed impact energy of 27 J at -20 °C (20 ft-lb at -4°F). It is available in thicknesses of 4-25.4 mm. Hardox® HiAce has similar mechanical properties as Hardox® 450. It can be processed by the same kind of machinery used for other Hardox® grades.

Hardox® HiAce for more payload, less fuel and reduced CO2 emissions

The increased wear resistance in garbage trucks and other equipment allows for the use of thinner plate without jeopardizing the service life. Thinner steel plate means more payload when fully loaded. And when traveling empty, a lower-weight truck saves on fuel and reduces CO2 emissions.