Piston ring and manufacturing method therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10087513-B2
Application number	US-201515104660-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2015
Priority date	Jan 31, 2014
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

A piston ring having a hard carbon film formed on at least an external peripheral sliding surface of a piston ring base material, the hard carbon film having an sp 2 component ratio within a range of 40% to 80% inclusive as measured by a TEM-EELS spectrum which combines electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) with a transmission electron microscope (TEM), a hydrogen content being in a range of 0.1 at. % to 5 at. % inclusive, and an amount of macroparticles appearing on the surface being within a range of 0.1% to 10% inclusive by area ratio. The hard carbon film is formed on a hard carbon foundation film formed under low-speed film-forming conditions on the side of the piston ring base material, and the hard carbon foundation film is formed with an arc current value 80% or less of the arc current value during the formation of the hard carbon film.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A manufacturing method for a piston ring having an amount of macroparticles appearing on a surface of a hard carbon film within a range of 0.1% to 10% inclusive by area ratio, the method comprising:
a hard carbon foundation film forming step of forming a hard carbon foundation film formed by a physical vapor disposition method on at least an external peripheral sliding surface of a piston ring base material under lower speed film-forming conditions than film-forming conditions in a hard carbon film forming step described below; and
a hard carbon film forming step of forming a hard carbon film formed by the same physical vapor deposition method as described above on the hard carbon foundation film under film-forming conditions that result in an sp 2 component ratio within a range of 40% to 80% inclusive as measured by a TEM-EELS spectrum, and a hydrogen content within a range of 0.1 at. % to 5 at. % inclusive, wherein
an arc current value of low-speed film-forming conditions in the hard carbon foundation film forming step is 80% or less of the arc current value in the hard carbon film forming step.

2. The manufacturing method for a piston ring according to claim 1 ,
further comprising a foundation film forming step of forming titanium or chromium on a piston ring base material before the hard carbon foundation film forming step.

3. The manufacturing method for a piston ring according to claim 1 , wherein
a hard carbon film formed in the hard carbon film forming step is a single-layered film formed under certain film-forming condition or a nano-laminated film formed under a plurality of film-forming conditions.

4. The manufacturing method for a piston ring according to claim 3 , wherein
the nano-laminated film is formed by alternately applying at least two different bias voltages.

5. A manufacturing method for a piston ring having an amount of macroparticles appearing on a surface of a hard carbon film within a range of 0.1% to 10% inclusive by area ratio, the method comprising:
a hard carbon foundation film forming step of forming a hard carbon foundation film formed by a physical vapor disposition method on at least an external peripheral sliding surface of a piston ring base material under lower speed film-forming conditions than film-forming conditions in a hard carbon film forming step described below;
a hard carbon film forming step of forming a hard carbon film formed by the same physical vapor deposition method as described above on the hard carbon foundation film under film-forming conditions that result in an sp 2 component ratio within a range of 40% to 80% inclusive as measured by a TEM-EELS spectrum, and a hydrogen content within a range of 0.1 at. % to 5 at. % inclusive; and
a foundation film forming step of forming titanium or chromium on a piston ring base material before the hard carbon foundation film forming step, wherein
a hard carbon film formed in the hard carbon film forming step is a single-layered film formed under certain film-forming condition or a nano-laminated film formed under a plurality of film-forming conditions.

Assignees

• Nippon Piston Ring Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ozaki Takuya
• Sugiura Hiroyuki

Classifications

• C23C14/025

  Metallic sublayers · CPC title

• C23C28/347

  with layers adapted for cutting tools or wear applications · CPC title

• C23C14/32

  by explosion; by evaporation and subsequent ionisation of the vapours {, e.g. ion-plating}(C23C14/34 - C23C14/48 take precedence) · CPC title

• C23C14/0605 Primary

  Carbon · CPC title

• F16J9/26

  characterised by the use of particular materials · CPC title