Swedish-based special steel maker, SSAB, has introduced Hardox® HiAce, an innovative wear-resistant material engineered to outperform conventional abrasion-resistant (AR) steels, stainless steels and even ceramics in environments where wear, corrosion and elevated temperatures combine.
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Hardox® HiAce steel was proven in extreme heat conditions at the exit from the coke plant of SSAB’s Oxelösund mill.
Steelmaker SSAB has taken innovation in wear-resistant materials a decisive step forward. Hardox® HiAce is engineered to outperform conventional abrasion-resistant (AR) steels, stainless steels and even ceramics in environments where wear, corrosion and elevated temperatures combine. It offers the same excellent hardness, yield strength and toughness as the renowned Hardox® 450 wear plate.
Unlike traditional materials that often excel only in one dimension, Hardox® HiAce delivers a combination of: Superior hardness and strength; Resistance to corrosive wear; High performance at high temperatures; and workshop-friendly fabrication that needs no special infrastructure.
High- or low-pH environments, combined with abrasion and impact, can create corrosive wear mechanisms that rapidly degrade conventional steels and damage equipment. Acids, sulphates, ammonia and salts can oxidise steel surfaces, accelerate wear rates and dramatically reduce service life. In these conditions, higher hardness alone is not enough.
Hardox® HiAce was developed to resist this complex degradation scenario. It provides the hardness needed for abrasion resistance while maintaining structural integrity in chemically aggressive environments. Typical industrial uses include: waste collection, pulp and paper, wood handling, recycling, mining, agriculture and transportation.
Why stainless steel falls short
Stainless steels perform well in purely corrosive environments. But when abrasion and impact are introduced, their lower hardness limits service life.
According to internal testing at SSAB, Hardox® HiAce outperforms both stainless steel S304 and AR400 steel under abrasive, pH 4 conditions. “The main reason Hardox® HiAce outperforms stainless steel is its significantly higher hardness and dent resistance,” says Jonas Allebert, Senior Wear Specialist at SSAB.
In the corrosive wear tests, Hardox® HiAce achieved:
- Up to 20% longer service life than stainless steel.
- No signs of pitting corrosion.
- A more cost-efficient solution compared to stainless steel.
Proven performance
Over six years and 106 000 km, SSAB monitored a garbage truck operated by the Swedish company Allmiljö, where Hardox® HiAce flooring replaced stainless steel S304. Only 40% wear was measured at the most exposed point; no pitting corrosion was observed; and the floor integrity remained intact.
“At this wear rate, the extended service life fully meets the operator’s requirements,” Allebert points out.
Pitting corrosion is a common cause of leakage and costly maintenance in garbage trucks using traditional AR steels. Hardox® HiAce eliminated this risk while extending operational life.
In addition, Hardox® HiAce can withstand heat up to 400 °C. Equipment operating at elevated temperatures can experience damaging heat spikes that can adversely affect conventional AR steels. Where these steels rapidly lose hardness and wear resistance, Hardox® HiAce maintains its excellent properties and wear resistance up to at least 400°C. This offers a dependable thermal buffer, long-term stability and reliable performance even during prolonged exposure.
This was proven in extreme heat conditions at SSAB’s coke plant. After red-hot coke exits the coal furnaces at SSAB’s Oxelösund mill, it is water-cooled and discharged onto sliding ramps while still extremely hot, creating a challenging environment because the coke is mildly to moderately corrosive and abrasive.
When one of the ramps required new liner plates, Hardox® HiAce was chosen for its combined resistance to abrasion, impact, corrosion and heat. After months of operation, wear levels were even lower than anticipated.
Other high-temperature applications for Hardox® HiAce in steel mills include quenching wagons, cooling beds, slag tippers and furnace inlet scrapers.
Additional high-temperature applications include:
- Dryer drums and lifter plates in asphalt plants.
- Clinker cooler plates and liner plates in cement plants.
- Ash-handling equipment and chain conveyors in power plants.
- Foundry scrapers and screeners.
- Crusher liner plates and clinker hammers.
At Conexpo 2026 in the Las Vegas Convention Centre during March, the superior performance of Hardox® HiAce and other SSAB Hardox® grades was on show.
