Sliding engine component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016201719-A1
Application number	US-201414912915-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 18, 2014
Priority date	Aug 19, 2013
Publication date	Jul 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A sliding engine component may include a sliding surface, and the sliding surface may include a plastic polymer-based layer disposed on a metallic substrate. The plastic polymer-based layer may have a composition including a plastic polymer-based material having distributed throughout the polymer-based material a thermochromic material configured to change colour irreversibly when thermally activated by heating beyond a threshold thermal treatment condition. The polymer-based material may be cured.

First claim

1 . A sliding engine component, comprising:
a sliding surface including a plastic polymer-based layer disposed on a metallic substrate; wherein the plastic polymer-based layer has a composition including a plastic polymer-based material having distributed throughout the polymer-based material a thermochromic material configured to change colour irreversibly when thermally activated by heating beyond a threshold thermal treatment condition; and wherein the polymer-based material is cured.

2 . A sliding engine component according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer-based material is cured below the threshold thermal treatment condition of the thermochromic material.

3 . A sliding engine component according to claim 2 , wherein the polymer-based material is cured via at least one of: a heat treatment process in an oven, an infrared radiation treatment, and an ultraviolet light treatment.

4 . A sliding engine component according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer-based material is thermally cured above the threshold thermal treatment condition of the thermochromic material.

5 . A sliding engine component according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer-based material includes a distribution of a plurality of thermochromic materials each configured to change colour irreversibly when thermally activated by heating above a respective threshold thermal treatment condition, and wherein the respective threshold thermal treatment condition of the plurality of thermochromic materials is different from one another.

6 . A sliding engine component according to claim 5 , wherein the polymer-based material is thermally cured above the respective threshold thermal treatment condition of at least two thermochromic materials of the plurality of thermochromic materials.

7 . A sliding engine component according to claim 1 , wherein the composition of the plastic polymer-based layer contains the thermochromic material in a proportion of 5 to 20% vol.

8 . A sliding engine component according to claim 1 , wherein the composition of the plastic polymer-based layer further includes a non-thermochromic pigmented material distributed throughout the polymer-based material configured to enhances a visual contrast of the plastic polymer-based layer when the thermochromic material changes colour.

9 . A sliding engine component according to claim 1 , wherein the composition of the plastic polymer-based layer has a concentration of the thermochromic material that is greatest at a surface of the plastic polymer-based layer remote from the substrate.

10 . A sliding engine component according to claim 1 , further comprising a further plastic polymer-based layer that does not contain a thermochromic material, wherein the further plastic polymer-based layer is disposed between the substrate and the plastic polymer-based layer.

11 . A sliding engine component according to claim 1 , wherein the thermochromic material is selected from a group of thermochromic materials having at least one of:
a colour change based on a change in the crystalline phase; a colour change based on a change in ligand geometry; and a colour change based on a change in number of molecules of solvent in the coordination sphere or to a decomposition.

12 . A sliding engine component according to claim 1 , wherein the thermochromic material comprises a thermochromic powdered solid particle distributed through the polymer-based material.

13 . A sliding engine component according to claim 1 , wherein the thermochromic material comprises a thermochromic solute that is dissolved in the polymer-based material.

14 . A sliding engine component according to claim 1 , wherein the thermochromic material includes at least one of: an inorganic metal salt, an organic encapsulated inorganic material, an acrylic polymer, and a leuco dye.

15 . A sliding engine component according to claim 14 , wherein the thermochromic material includes at least one material selected from the group consisting of:
Co(NO 2 ) 2 .2C 5 H 12 N 4 .10H 2 O, [Co(NH 3 ) 5 Cl]Cl 2 , [Co(NH 3 )Cl]SiF 6 , [Co(NH 3 ) 6 ]PO 4 , NiSO 4 .7H 2 O, NiCl 2 .2C 6 H 12 N 4 .10H 2 O, NiBr 2 .2C 5 H 12 N 4 .10H 2 O, Ni(CNS) 2 .pyridine, Ni(MoO 4 ) 6 .8H 2 O, Cu(OH) 2 , 2Cu(CNS) 2 .2pyridine, [Cr(NH 3 ) 6 ] 4 (P 3 O 7 ) 8 , (NH 4 ) 2 Cr 2 O 7 , Cd(OH) 2 , NH 4 VO 3 , (NH 4 ) 2 U 2 O 7 , and NH 4 CoPO 4 .

16 . A sliding engine component according to claim 1 , wherein the thermochromic material is a leuco dye including at least one of: a spirolactone, a spiropyran, and a fulgide.

17 . A sliding engine component according to claim 16 , wherein the spirolactone is crystal violet lactone.

18 . A sliding engine component according to claim 16 , wherein the fluorane is selected from the group consisting of:
3,3′-dimethoxy-fluorane, 3-chloro-6-phenylamino-flourane, 3-diethylamino-6-methyl-7-chlorofluorane, 3-diethyl-7,8-benzofluorane, 3,3′,3″-tris(p-di-methylaminophenyl)phthalide, 3,3′-bis(p-dimethyl-aminophenyl)-7-phenylaminofluorane, and 3-diethyl-amino-6-methyl-7-phenylamino-fluorane.

19 . A sliding engine component according to claim 1 , wherein the threshold thermal treatment condition of the thermochromic material comprises a threshold curing temperature in the range of 150 to 320° C.

20 . A sliding engine component according to claim 1 , wherein the sliding engine component is a sliding bearing assembly component selected from the group including at least bearing lining shells, bushes, bearing surfaces of crankshafts, bearing surfaces of camshafts, bearing surfaces of connecting rods, thrust washers, bearing surfaces of a bearing block, and bearing surfaces of a bearing cap.

21 . A sliding engine component according to claim 1 , wherein the thermochromic material is thermally activated by heating above the threshold thermal treatment condition of the thermochromic material to irreversibly induce a colour change.

22 . A sliding engine component according to claim 21 , wherein the plastic polymer-based layer comprises a plurality of different thermochromic materials and at least one thermochromic material has been thermally treated by heating above a respective threshold thermal treatment condition.

23 . (canceled)

24 . (canceled)

25 . A method of manufacturing a sliding engine component, comprising:
providing a metallic substrate, coating a plastic polymer-based layer onto the substrate, wherein the plastic polymer-based layer has a composition including a plastic polymer-based material and a thermochromic material distributed throughout the polymer-based material, the thermochromic material configured to change colour irreversibly when thermally activated by heating beyond a threshold thermal treatment condition; and curing the plastic polymer-based layer.

26 . A method according to claim 25 , wherein curing the plastic polymer-based layer includes thermally curing the plastic polymer-based layer beyond the threshold thermal treatment condition.

27 . A method according to claim 25 , further comprising analysing the plastic polymer-based layer to identify an occurrence of a colour change indicative of heating beyond the threshold thermal treatment condition.

28 . (canceled)

29 . (canceled)

30 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Mahle Int Gmbh
• Mahle Engine Systems Uk Ltd

Inventors

• Gorges Roger
• De Blaquiere James P

Classifications

• F16C2208/20

  Thermoplastic resins · CPC title

• F16C41/008

  Identification means, e.g. markings, RFID-tags; Data transfer means · CPC title

• F16C33/208

  Methods of manufacture, e.g. shaping, applying coatings · CPC title

• F16C33/206

  with three layers · CPC title

• F16C33/205

  with two layers · CPC title