Enhanced mechanical seal performance through CVD diamond films

Polycrystalline diamond coatings have been deposited by microwave plasma-assisted CVD onto silicon carbide substrates. The coating conditions and substrate properties were varied systematically using the Taguchi method and the resulting coating morphologies were determined. A second Taguchi experiment was then used to assess the tribological performance of the coatings against a range of counterface materials in a thrust washer test rig. The results of these tests are reported here, and they confirm the excellent tribological performance that can be obtained. Consideration is also given to the role of surface texture in determining seal performance (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.