Metal bearing surface having an adherent score-resistant coating
AssigneeGeneral Motors Corporation
InventorsBernard A. MacIver, James C. Erskine, Jr., John C. Bierlein
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A bearing element having an adherent score-resistant coating on its surface comprising a carbonized layer of an organic resin in which the layer is carbonized by ion implantation. The ion implantation is controlled to not only provide graphite-like and diamond-like structures in the carbonized coating but to also produce chemical bonding between carbon atoms of the resultant coating and atoms of the bearing surface.
Claims1
An article of manufacture comprising a metal bearing surface, a sliding contact layer on the bearing surface that is less than about 1.0 micrometer thick and consists essentially of a sulfur-free organic resin that has been carbonized by ion implantation, which carbonized layer includes graphite-like and diamond-like crystalline microstructures, and a chemical bond between the carbonized layer and the metal bearing surface, that is attributable to chemical reactions induced by implanted ions targeted to provide maximum layer damage between the carbonized layer and the metal bearing surface, effective to provide an adherent, hard and score-resistant sliding contact coating on the metal bearing surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.