A new piston ring coating, developed by Federal-Mogul could help in the auto industry's battle to reduce emissions and increase fuel economy.
CarboGlide®-coated piston rings Image: Federal-Mogul |
The Michigan-based powertrain specialist has developed the coating, branded CarboGlide®, to further reduce ring friction and thus improve fuel consumption. The new product combines carbon, hydrogen and tungsten in a way that allows a coating of 10 microns, more than three times thicker than the current leading-edge technology.
Because the carbon within the coating is deposited in a diamond-like form, CarboGlide is extremely strong which helps to prevent scuffing and scoring of the ring as well as reducing friction in the cylinder. According to Federal-Mogul, the coating demonstrates a 20% reduction in friction over nitride or other common coatings.
The new coating has also required a new application process, which combines Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD) and Plasma-Assisted Chemical Vapour Deposition (PACVD) to ensure a totally smooth finish and optimal adhesion to cast iron or steel rings. The coating is claimed to be effective for full engine life even in GDI turbo engines.