Laminated bearing material and process for making the same

The process for the manufacture of laminated bearing stock constituted of a substrate structure and a sputtered facing layer on the substrate structure which includes the steps of:

• (a) forming a multi-substance unitary target which contains antifriction metals,
• (b) providing in said target at least one metallic material for which the oxide of said metal has greater volume than the said metal itself,
• (c) said facing layer also containing particles of at least one plastic substance having anti-friction properties, held in said matrix,
• (d) said plastic substance having a dielectric constant of at most 2.6,
• (e) disposing the said target and the said substrate structure in proximity to each other in a gaseous atmosphere,
• (f) sputtering the substances of the target onto said substrate structure by an electrical discharge in said gaseous atmosphere, and
• (e) maintaining a selected low proportion oxygen content within said gaseous atmosphere during said sputtering.

Laminated bearing stock comprising, in combination:

• (a) a substrate structure,
• (b) a facing layer of material containing a matrix of anti-friction substance which is sputtered by electrical discharge from a single composite metallic target in a gas onto the said substrate structure,
• (c) said matrix including particles of sulfides of at least one metal,
• (d) said particles being disposed in a fine suspension and constituting less than 1% by volume of said matrix substance,
• (e) said selected metal and said sulfide thereof being such that the volume of the sulfide is greater than the volume of the respective metal,
• (f) said facing layer also containing particles of at least one plastic substance having anti-friction properties, held in said matrix,
• (g) said plastic substance having a dielectric constant of at most 2.6, and,
• (h) means effected by said sputtering of the material of the facing layer against said substrate structure, for bonding and cohering the said facing layer thereto.

The process for the manufacturing of laminated bearing stock constituted of a substrate structure and a sputtered facing layer on the substrate structure which includes the steps of:

• (a) forming a multi-substance unitary target which contains anti-friction metals,
• (b) providing in said target at least one metallic material for which the sulfide of said metal has greater volume than the said metal itself,
• (c) said facing layer also containing particles of at least one plastic substance having anti-friction properties, held in said matrix,
• (d) said plastic substance having a dielectric constant of at most 2.6,
• (e) disposing the said target and the said substrate structure in proximity to each other in a gaseous atmosphere containing a sulphur compound,
• (f) sputtering the substances of the target onto said substrate structure by an electrical discharge in said gaseous atmosphere, and
• (g) maintaining a selected low proportion sulfide content within said gaseous atmosphere during said sputtering.