Chain having an electroless nickel coating containing hard particles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019071780-A1
Application number	US-201616083530-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 10, 2016
Priority date	Mar 10, 2016
Publication date	Mar 7, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of applying a wear resistant surface to chain links and pins of a chain by the application of an electroless nickel coating containing hard particles. The coating reduces the friction on the chain links and associated chain components, such as pins, bushings, rockers and other components. The hard particles contained in the coating may be a carbide or nitride formed using the following elements: silicon, boron, chromium or vanadium. The coating may contain a combination of carbide or nitrides. The hard particles may additional include natural diamond and/or synthetic diamond like carbon (DLC) particles.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of improving the wear characteristics of chain links and/or chain components comprising the steps of:
a) cleaning the chain links and/or chain components with an alkaline agent to remove any foreign contaminants; b) rinsing the chain links and/or chain components to remove the alkaline agent from the chain links and/or chain components; c) cleaning of the chain links and/or chain components; d) rinsing the chain links and/or chain components at least once; e) subjecting the chain links and/or chain components to acid activation by immersing the chain links and/or chain components in an acid bath; f) rinsing the chain links and/or chain components with tap water at least once to remove acid from the acid bath on the chain links/and or chain components; g) applying an electroless nickel coating containing hard particles of a carbide or nitride formed using elements chosen from a group consisting of silicon, boron, chromium and vanadium to the chain links and/or chain components by immersing the chain links and/or chain components in a bath at a temperature of 180-190° F. with a pH of 4.8 to 5.2; and h) rinsing the coated chain links and/or chain components at least once; wherein the chain components comprise bushings, pins, rockers and rollers.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein prior to step (a) of cleaning the chain links and/or chain components with the alkaline agent, the chain links and/or chain components are rinsed with tap water for at least two minutes at room temperature.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the alkaline agent in step (a) is a combination of hydroxide, carbonate, silicates, phosphates and other organic surfactants.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein in step (a) the alkaline agent is applied at a temperature of 160-180° F. for 5 minutes.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning in step (c) is electro-cleaning, and the cleaning is carried out at a temperature of 165-185° F. for 5 minutes at 30 ASF.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the acid bath of step (e) contains sulfuric acid a concentration range of 5-10%.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the acid bath of step (e) contains hydrochloric acid at a concentration range of 30-50%.

8 . The method of claim 1 in which the acid bath in step (e) is diluted at room temperature with distilled water.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the hard particles applied in step (g) further comprise synthetic diamond-like carbon particles.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the coating applied to the chain components and/or chain links in step (g) is applied until the coating reaches a thickness between 14 to 25 microns

11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step, after step (h), of drying the links and/or chain components.

12 . The method of claim 1 in which the steps of rinsing are done with tap water at room temperature.

Assignees

• Borgwarner Inc

Inventors

• Junker Matthew E
• Batenighas-Rmanesh Mohammadreza
• Wang Yumin

Classifications

• C23C18/1662

  Use of incorporated material in the solution or dispersion, e.g. particles, whiskers, wires · CPC title

• C23C18/1844

  with use of organic or inorganic compounds other than metals, first · CPC title

• F16G13/04

  Toothed chains · CPC title

• C25F1/00

  Electrolytic cleaning, degreasing, pickling or descaling · CPC title

• C23C18/1848

  by electrochemical pretreatment · CPC title