Thermal Spray Coating for Mechanical Face Seals

Abstract

A method of producing a mechanical face seal, the method including a step of obtaining a cast or wrought substrate part having an inner diameter, outer diameter, and a planar surface. The method may include a rough surface treatment step to form pores, peaks, and valleys on the planar surface of the substrate part. The method may further include a spraying step to supply a spray coating material onto the substrate part to form a protective thermal spray coating layer on the substrate part.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method of producing a mechanical face seal, the method comprising:
 forming a cast or wrought substrate part having an inner diameter, an outer diameter, and a planar surface extending between the inner diameter and the outer diameter;   roughing the planar surface of the substrate part; and   applying a coating material onto the planar surface to form a thermal coating layer on the substrate part, the coating material comprising at least one of a Fe-based alloy, a Ni-based alloy, a Co-based alloy, a carbide-based material, and a ceramic material.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising finishing the thermal coating layer formed on the substrate part,
 wherein the finishing includes removing material from the thermal coating layer to yield a thermal coating layer thickness of between 0.1 mm and 2.0 mm.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the finishing includes removing a depth of between 100 microns and 200 microns of material from the thermal coating layer. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the roughing forms pores, peaks, and valleys on the planar surface of the substrate part. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the roughing forms pores, peaks, and valleys on the planar surface of the substrate part, and
 wherein the applying includes heating the coating material to form molten particles to be applied onto the planar surface and into the valleys on the planar surface of the substrate part.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the applying includes heating the coating material to form molten particles to be applied onto the planar surface of the substrate part. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the applying includes spraying the coating material onto the planar surface via a sprayer, and moving the sprayer back and forth above the substrate part in a radial direction between a location of the outer diameter and the inner diameter of the substrate part. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the applying includes rotating the substrate part at a rate of between 100 RPM and 300 RPM while the coating material is applied onto the planar surface of the substrate part. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the thermal coating layer forms a coating surface on the substrate part that is free of cracks. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate part is made of SAE 52100 alloy steel, SAE 1020 alloy steel, SAE 1040 alloy steel, ductile iron, or grey cast iron. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the Fe-based alloy consists of 0.78% to 1.05% carbon, 0.15% to 0.40% manganese, 0.20% to 0.45% silicon, 2.0% to 4.5% chromium, 4.5% to 5.5% molybdenum, 5.5% to 6.75% tungsten, 1.75% to 2.20% vanadium, up to 0.3% nickel, up to 0.25% copper, up to 0.03% phosphorus, up to 0.03% sulfur, and a balance of iron,
 wherein the Ni-based alloy consists of 16-17% chromium, 3.3% boron, 3.8% silicon, 0.8% to 1.0% carbon, and a balance of nickel, and   wherein the Co-based alloy consists of 26.5% to 33% chromium, 0.8% to 2.7% carbon, 3.5% to 20% tungsten, 0.8% to 1.2% silicon, up to 3% iron, up to 1.5% molybdenum, up to 1% manganese, and a balance of cobalt.   
     
     
         12 . A mechanical face seal formed by the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         13 . A method of producing a mechanical face seal, the method comprising:
 forming a cast or wrought substrate part having an inner diameter, an outer diameter, and a planar surface extending between the inner diameter and the outer diameter;   roughing the planar surface of the substrate part to form pores, peaks, and valleys on the planar surface of the substrate part; and   spraying a coating material that has been heated to molten particles, via a heating element and a spray head, onto the planar surface to form a thermal spray coating layer on the substrate part, the coating material comprising at least one of a Fe-based alloy, a Ni-based alloy, a Co-based alloy, a carbide-based material, and a ceramic material.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising finishing the thermal spray coating layer formed on the substrate part,
 wherein the finishing includes removing material from the thermal spray coating layer to yield a thermal spray coating layer thickness of between 0.1 mm and 2.0 mm.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the finishing includes removing a depth of between 100 microns and 200 microns of material from the thermal spray coating layer. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the molten particles are applied onto the planar surface and into the valleys on the planar surface of the substrate part. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the spraying includes moving the spray head back and forth above the substrate part in a radial direction between a location of the outer diameter and the inner diameter of the substrate part. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the spraying includes rotating the substrate part at a rate of between 100 RPM and 300 RPM while the spray coating material is applied onto the planar surface of the substrate part. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the Fe-based alloy consists of 0.78% to 1.05% carbon, 0.15% to 0.40% manganese, 0.20% to 0.45% silicon, 2.0% to 4.5% chromium, 4.5% to 5.5% molybdenum, 5.5% to 6.75% tungsten, 1.75% to 2.20% vanadium, up to 0.3% nickel, up to 0.25% copper, up to 0.03% phosphorus, up to 0.03% sulfur, and a balance of iron,
 wherein the Ni-based alloy consists of 16-17% chromium, 3.3% boron, 3.8% silicon, 0.8% to 1.0% carbon, and a balance of nickel, and   wherein the Co-based alloy consists of 26.5% to 33% chromium, 0.8% to 2.7% carbon, 3.5% to 20% tungsten, 0.8% to 1.2% silicon, up to 3% iron, up to 1.5% molybdenum, up to 1% manganese, and a balance of cobalt.   
     
     
         20 . A method of producing a mechanical face seal, the method comprising:
 forming a cast or wrought substrate part, the substrate part having an inner diameter, an outer diameter, and a planar surface extending between the inner diameter and the outer diameter;   roughing the planar surface of the substrate part; and   spraying a coating material via a sprayer onto the planar surface to form a thermal spray coating layer on the substrate part, the coating material comprising at least one of a Fe-based alloy, a Ni-based alloy, a Co-based alloy, a carbide-based material, and a ceramic material,   wherein the Fe-based alloy consists of 0.78% to 1.05% carbon, 0.15% to 0.40% manganese, 0.20% to 0.45% silicon, 2.0% to 4.5% chromium, 4.5% to 5.5% molybdenum, 5.5% to 6.75% tungsten, 1.75% to 2.20% vanadium, up to 0.3% nickel, up to 0.25% copper, up to 0.03% phosphorus, up to 0.03% sulfur, and a balance of iron,   wherein the Ni-based alloy consists of 16-17% chromium, 3.3% boron, 3.8% silicon, 0.8% to 1.0% carbon, and a balance of nickel,   wherein the Co-based alloy consists of 26.5% to 33% chromium, 0.8% to 2.7% carbon, 3.5% to 20% tungsten, 0.8% to 1.2% silicon, up to 3% iron, up to 1.5% molybdenum, up to 1% manganese, and a balance of cobalt,   wherein the carbide-based material includes at least one of tungsten and chromium, and   wherein the ceramic material includes at least one of aluminum oxides, cobalt oxides, and titanium oxides.