Abstract
The experimental results of developing tribological surface coatings for high temperature application are presented. The primary focus of this work was in the area of high output advanced, low heat rejection (LHR) diesel engines, where high temperature lubrication between the piston ring and the cylinder liner wall surface is essential. The target temperature focused upon in our research is an operating top ring reversal temperature of approximately 1000° F. The technology developed typically involves treating a porous thermal spray coating with chemical binders improving coating strength and integrity and eliminating open porosity to form an almost monolithic appearing coating. The effectiveness of the densification through the coating thickness was studied. It has been shown that densification process improves mechanical properties and dramatically extends coating wear resistance. Good results were obtained using densified plasma spray Iron oxide (hematite) for a cylinder liner coating versus plasma sprayed Tribaloy T 800 for piston ring. Single Cylinder LHR engine test successfully demonstrated the feasibility of this tribological pair for the possible future applications.
