Elos Medtech Pinol A/s

Andreas Frederik Kielsholm Körkel

Thomas Lundin Christiansen

Marcel A J Somers

Morten Stendahl Jellesen

The present invention relates to a method of oxygen hardening a Group IV metal, the method comprising the steps of: providing a workpiece of a Group IV metal in its final shape; oxidising the Group IV metal over an oxidising duration of at least 10 minutes in an oxidising atmosphere at a first temperature to provide a non-stratified Group IV metal oxide on the surface of the workpiece using a gaseous oxidising species having an upper temperature limit of up to 800° C. wherein the first temperature is in the range of 500° C. and the upper temperature limit of the gaseous oxidising species; diffusing oxygen from the non-stratified Group IV metal oxide into the Group IV metal in an inert atmosphere at a second temperature in the range of 500° C. to 800° C. and at a partial pressure of the gaseous oxidising species of up to 10-4 mbar over a diffusive duration of at least 0.1 hour to provide a superficial diffusion zone comprising oxygen in solid solution. In another aspect, the invention relates to a Group IV metal component comprising a material core having a core hardness and a surface hardness of at least the core hardness +200 HV. The component is obtainable in the method of the invention.

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Græsted, Denmark

Andreas Frederik Kielsholm Körkel