# US 12,760,437 B2 · Self-lubricating coating, fabrication method, and electrical contact

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- Number: US 12,760,437 B2
- Document ID: US12760437B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/433,508
- Filed: 2024-02-06
- Published: 2024-08-08
- Granted: 2026-10-13
- Earliest claimed: 2023-02-08
- Assignees: TE Connectivity Solutions GmbH
- Applicants: TE Connectivity Solutions GmbH
- Inventors: Marcella Joana Oberst; Isabell Buresch; Frank Ostendorf; Helge Schmidt
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12760437B2

## CPC

- C25D 15/00: Electrolytic or electrophoretic production of coatings containing embedded materials, e.g. particles, whiskers, wires
- C10M 103/02: Carbon; Graphite
- C10M 103/04: Metals; Alloys
- C10M 103/06: Metal compounds
- C23C 14/0623: {Sulfides, selenides or tellurides}
- C23C 14/14: Metallic material, boron or silicon
- C23C 16/06: characterised by the deposition of metallic material
- C23C 16/305: {Sulfides, selenides, or tellurides}
- C25D 7/006: {Nanoparticles}
- C25D 9/04: with inorganic materials
- H01R 13/03: characterised by the material, e.g. plating, or coating materials
- C10M 2201/0423: used as base material
- C10M 2201/053: used as base material
- C10M 2201/0653: used as base material
- C10N 2020/06: Particles of special shape or size
- C10N 2050/02: dissolved or suspended in a carrier which subsequently evaporates to leave a lubricant coating
- C25D: PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PRODUCTION OF COATINGS; ELECTROFORMING; APPARATUS THEREFOR
- C10M: LUBRICATING COMPOSITIONS (well drilling compositions C09K8/02); USE OF CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES EITHER ALONE OR AS LUBRICATING INGREDIENTS IN A LUBRICATING COMPOSITION (mould release, i.e. separating, agents for metals B22C3/00, for plastics or substances in a plastic state, in general B29C33/56, for glass C03B40/02; textile lubricating compositions D06M11/00, D06M13/00, D06M15/00; immersion oils for microscopy G02B21/33)
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)
- H01R: ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- C10N: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS C10M RELATING TO LUBRICATING COMPOSITIONS

## Abstract

The present invention relates to a self-lubricating coating comprising a dispersion made of nanoparticles containing sulfur that are incorporated into a silver matrix, wherein the nanoparticles containing sulfur have the composition Ag2S and/or Au2S. The present invention furthermore relates to a self-lubricating coating comprising a dispersion made of fluorinated graphene, and/or carbon nanotube (CNT), and/or carbon nanoparticles of the formula (CF)x incorporated into a silver matrix, wherein the fluorinated graphene, CNT, or carbon nanoparticles of the formula (CF)x have a fluorine to carbon ratio of 1 to 1.25. The present invention furthermore relates to a method for the fabrication of the coating, and an electrical contact which comprises such a coating.

## Claims

### Claim 1

Self-lubricating coating comprising a dispersion made of nanoparticles containing sulfur that are incorporated in a silver matrix, wherein said nanoparticles containing sulfur have the composition Au2S.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

Self-lubricating coating according to claim 1, wherein said nanoparticles containing sulfur are contained in said dispersion at a quantity of 0.01 to 10% by volume, based on 100% by volume of the dispersion coating.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

Self-lubricating coating according to claim 1, wherein said nanoparticles containing sulfur have an average particle size D50 of 5 to 300 nm.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

Self-lubricating coating according to claim 1, wherein said nanoparticles containing sulfur have an average particle size D50 of 50 to 90 nm.

### Claim 5

Self-lubricating coating, comprising a dispersion made with fluorinated graphene, and/or carbon nanotube (CNT), and/or carbon nanoparticles of the formula (CF)x incorporated into a silver matrix, wherein said fluorinated graphene, CNT, or carbon nanoparticles of the formula (CF)x have a fluorine to carbon ratio of 1 to 1.25.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

Self-lubricating coating according to claim 5, wherein said fluorinated carbon nanoparticles have a bimodal particle size distribution, and wherein the average particle size D50 is from 2 to 50 nm and from 0.4 to 10 μm.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

Self-lubricating coating according to claim 5, wherein fluorinated carbon nanoparticles of the formula (CF)x have a fluorine to carbon ratio of 1 to 1.25.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

Self-lubricating coating according to claim 5, wherein said dispersion comprises fluorinated carbon nanoparticles of the formula (CF)x.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

Self-lubricating coating according to claim 1, wherein the silver content in the matrix is present at a quantity of 90 to 99.99% by volume, based on 100% by volume of said dispersion coating.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

Self-lubricating coating according to claim 1, wherein said coating further comprises a dispersing agent.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

Self-lubricating coating according to claim 10, wherein said dispersing agent is selected from the group of polar dispersing agents.

### Claim 12

Coating comprising a dispersion layer comprising silver and nanoparticles, wherein said nanoparticles are nanoparticles containing sulfur selected from Au2S, or are fluorinated graphene, and/or fluorinated carbon nanotube (CNT), and/or fluorinated carbon nanoparticles of the formula (CF)x that have a fluorine to carbon ratio of 1 to 1.25, wherein said fluorinated graphene, and/or fluorinated carbon nanotube (CNT), and/or fluorinated carbon nanoparticles of the formula (CF)x have a bimodal particle size distribution, and wherein the average particle size D50 is from 2 to 50 nm and from 0.4 to 10 μm.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

Coating according to claim 12, wherein said dispersion comprises fluorinated carbon nanoparticles of the formula (CF)x.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

Coating according to claim 12, wherein said coating furthermore comprises an additional layer comprising nickel, nickel phosphorus, copper, or pure silver, where this layer preferably has a thickness of 1 to 4 micrometers.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

Coating according to claim 12, wherein said coating comprises two intermediate layers between a layer comprising silver and said layer produced with said coating of claim 12, wherein said first intermediate layer preferably comprises nickel, and wherein said first intermediate layer preferably has a thickness of 0.5 to 4 micrometers, wherein the second intermediate layer preferably comprises silver, and wherein said second intermediate layer preferably has a thickness of 0.5 to 4 micrometers.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

Electrical contact comprising said coating according to claim 1.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

Method for the fabrication of a coating according to claim 1, comprising coating a substrate with said coating according to claim 1.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

Method according to claim 17, wherein said coating is fabricated by electrolytic deposition.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

Method according to claim 17, wherein said coating is fabricated by physical deposition using PVD (physical vapor deposition), CVD (chemical vapor deposition) or plasma deposition.