Tungsten disulfide surface treatment

• US 7,232,614 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2005
• Issued: 06/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MicroBlue Bearings, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Material Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: LeClaire, Craig T.
• Primary Examiner(s): PARKER, FREDERICK JOHN
• Application Number:
  US11/154,460
• Publication Number:
  US 20050244574A1
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• Field of Search: 428/612, 428/639, 428/570, 428/687
• US Class Current: 428/612
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/14 designed for spraying particulate materials B05B7/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/1454 comprising means for supplying collected oversprayed particulate material spray booth with arrangements for collecting oversprayed material B05B14/40
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 24/04 Impact or kinetic deposition of particles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 30/00 Coating with metallic material characterised only by the composition of the metallic material, i.e. not characterised by the coating process C23C26/00, C23C28/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 4/02 Pretreatment of the material to be coated, e.g. for coating on selected surface areas
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12181 Composite powder [e.g., coated, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12472 Microscopic interfacial wave or roughness
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1266 O, S, or organic compound in metal component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1284 W-base component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12993 Surface feature [e.g., rough, mirror]

Abstract

A tungsten disulfide metal surface treatment in which the substrate material is prepared through impingement of small blast media particle sizes to create formed pockets in the substrate material approximately matched to the size of the tungsten disulfide particles. A sand blast apparatus having a vibratory bowl with a throttled intake pipe enables small blast media particles to be used to prepare the substrate surface with the formed pockets. A method for forming the tungsten disulfide surface treatment through roughening the substrate surface in a controlled manner is disclosed.

Claims

1. A tungsten disulfide treated surface over an entire selected area of a substrate material, the tungsten disulfide treated surface including tungsten disulfide particles of a predetermined average size, the tungsten disulfide surface treatment comprising:

a prepared substrate surface formed in the substrate material, the prepared substrate surface having formed pockets with an effective depth substantially matched to or smaller than the predetermined average size of the tungsten disulfide particles over substantially the entire selected area; and

a tungsten disulfide layer formed of the tungsten disulfide particles filled into the formed pockets over the entire selected area of the substrate material.

2. The tungsten disulfide treated surface of claim 1 wherein the tungsten disulfide particles have an average size of between about 0.75 micron and about 1.5 micron in diameter.

3. The tungsten disulfide treated surface of claim 2 wherein the formed pockets have an average roughness characteristic measured by a 5 micron radius tip profolometer of between about 2 and about 5 microinches, thereby to provide an effective depth substantially matched to or smaller than the predetermined average size.

4. The tungsten disulfide treated surface of claim 1 wherein the formed pockets have an average roughness characteristic measured by a 5 micron radius tip profilometer of less than about 10 microinches, thereby to provide an effective depth substantially matched to a smaller than the predetermined average size.

5. The tungsten disulfide treated surface of claim 1 wherein the prepared surface comprises a blasted surface.

6. The tungsten disulfide treated surface of claim 1 wherein the substrate material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of ferrous material;

stainless steel, aluminum and aluminum alloys;

copper and copper alloys;

brass;

or bronze; and

brass or bronze alloys.

7. The tungsten disulfide treated surface of claim 1 wherein the tungsten disulfide layer is about one tungsten disulfide particle thick.

8. The tungsten disulfide treated surface of claim 1 wherein a majority of the tungsten disulfide particles project outside the formed pockets.

9. The tungsten disulfide treated surface of claim 8 wherein the substrate material is exposed between adjacent pockets, the tungsten disulfide particles preventing exposed substrate material from being slidably engaged.

10. The tungsten disulfide treated surface of claim 1 wherein substantially all of said formed pockets are sized to receive a single tungsten disulfide particle of said predetermined average size.

11. A tungsten disulfide treated surface over an entire selected area of a substrate material, the tungsten disulfide treated surface including tungsten disulfide particles of a predetermined average size, the tungsten disulfide treated surface comprising:

a roughened substrate surface formed in the substrate material, the roughened surface having an average roughness characteristic over the entire selected area of less than about 10 microinches as measured by a 5 micron radius tipped profilometer; and

a tungsten disulfide layer formed of the tungsten disulfide particles filled into the roughened substrate surface over the entire selected area of the substrate material.

12. The tungsten disulfide treated surface of claim 11 wherein the tungsten disulfide particles have an average size of between about 0.75 micron and about 1.5 micron in diameter.

13. The tungsten disulfide treated surface of claim 12 wherein the roughened surface has an average roughness characteristic measured by a 5 micron radius tip profilometer of between about 2 and about 5 microinches.

14. The tungsten disulfide treated surface of claim 11 wherein the roughened surface has an average roughness characteristic measured by a 5 micron radius tip profilometer of less than about 10 microinches.

15. The tungsten disulfide treated surface of claim 11 wherein the roughened surface comprises a blasted surface.

16. The tungsten disulfide treated surface of claim 11 wherein the tungsten disulfide layer is about one tungsten disulfide particle thick.

17. The tungsten disulfide treated surface of claim 11 wherein the roughened surface defines a plurality of formed pockets, a majority of the tungsten disulfide particles being filled into the formed pockets and projecting outside of the formed pockets.

18. The tungsten disulfide treated surface of claim 17 wherein the substrate material is exposed between adjacent pockets, the tungsten disulfide particles preventing exposed substrate material from being slidably engaged.