DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF VARIOUS

COATED PISTON RING TO IMPROVE

THE WEAR RESISTANCE
 ABSTRACT

 Recent research predicts more than 70% of energy used in an IC engine is in

some form of losses. Engine emission cooling and friction are the measure
cause of losses in an IC engine which reduce its efficiency. Piston
Compression ring is the constituent part of ring-liner sliding pair

• That is subjected to high load and speed condition. Due to lubrication regime
transition, there is the greater chance of wear and tear in the ring as well as
in the liner.

• In order to reduce the wear and to enhance the ring and liner life, nickel,
chromium and zinc coatings are provided on the surface of such contact
pairs.
 Chapter-1
INTRODUCTION
 Chapter-1

INTRODUCTION OF COATINGS

Protective coatings

Protective coatings are used in oil and gas storage, transmission and distribution
network to prevent steel structures against corrosion. Steel structures like trains,
ships, automobiles, airplanes, underground buried gas pipelines, fuel storage tanks
etc require the use of protective coatings. The importance of a coating can be
judged from the fact that it can hardly be ignored in any corrosion protective
scheme. Protective coatings are unique specialty products which represent the most
widely used method of corrosion control.

They are used to give long term protection under different corrosive
conditions. The function of a protective coating or lining is to separate two highly
reactive materials; to prevent corrosive environment species from contacting the
reactive underlying steel structure. This is to say that a coating or a lining acts as
a barrier to prevent either chemical compounds or corrosion currents from
contacting the substrate . Corrosion protection of over-ground and under-ground
steel structures with the help of organic coatings are one of the most proven
methods. Other methods include Cathodic Protection (CP), environmental
modification, material selection and design. If the resistivity of electrolyte is
increased and the electron flux is retarded, the rate of corrosion is decreased. By
applying coatings of high resistivity, such as epoxies, vinyls, chlorinated rubbers,
etc. the flow of electric current to the metal surface is impeded. Also the higher the
thickness of a coating, the higher would be its electrical resistance. A much higher
resistance to the current flow would, therefore, be offered. Thus increasing the
electrical resistance of metals by coating offers an excellent method of
corrosion prevention. Another method to prevent corrosion is by the use of
inhibitors. This can be achieved by using inhibitive pigments, like zinc chromate,
red lead and zinc phosphate in coatings. An alternative method is to use a metal
more anodic than iron, such as zinc. This is done by using zinc-rich coating. The
zinc metal prevents the corrosion of iron by releasing electrons into the iron
surface. Thus, coatings are an effective method to control corrosion.

Purposes of a coating

A coating serves many purposes. Some of these are presented as below:-

 Protection of steel structures from the environment by acting as a barrier

between the substrate and the aggressive environment, such as the marine
and industrial environments.
 Control of solvent losses.
 Control of marine fouling; certain constituents in coating control
growth of mildew and marine fouling in seawater.
 Reduction in friction (coating reduces friction between two contacting
surfaces).
 Pleasant appearance; certain types of coatings provide a pleasant
appearance and produce attractive surroundings.
 Change in light intensity; by selection of appropriate coatings the light
intensity in rooms and buildings can be varied as desired.
 Visibility; many combinations of colors because of their visibility
from large distances are used on television and radio towers to warn
air craft.
 Modification of chemical, mechanical, thermal, electronic and optical
properties of materials.
  Application of thin coatings on low-cost substrates results in increased
efficiency and cost savings.

Coating as a means of corrosion control

First attempts to control steel structures corrosion relied on the use of coating
materials and the reasoning that if the substrate could be isolated from contact with
the surrounding earth, no corrosion could occur. This concept is entirely reasonable
and logical. Furthermore, a coating would be completely effective as a means of
stopping corrosion if the coating material:-Is an effective electrical insulator, Can
be applied with no breaks whatsoever and will remain so during the
backfilling process, and Constitutes an initially perfect film that will remain so
with time. Although coatings by themselves may not be the one perfect answer to
corrosion control, they are extremely effective when properly used. Most operators
plan coatings and Cathodic Protection (CP) for all their steel structures like oil and
gas transmission pipelines as a matter of course. A properly selected and applied
coating will provide all the protection necessary on most of the pipeline surface to
which it is applied. On a typical well-coated pipeline this may be better than 99%
and, along with the CP, may give total protection.

Characteristics of coatings

NACE Standard RP0169-96 Section 5: Coatings, is a comprehensive guide to pipe

coatings, and is required reading for a better understanding of their importance.
This standard lists the following desirable characteristics of coatings:-

SPECIFICATIONS OF A COATING

Specifications may be prepared in light of the recommendations of the coating

manufacturer with relevant modifications as may be dictated by conditions
applicable to the particular project and requirements of the coating system. Areas
to be covered by specifications may include the following:-

 Cleaning the steel surface

 Priming, if required
 The coating materials to be used and (if more than one material) the order in
which they are to be applied
 Total thickness with permissible tolerances
 Specifications applicable to the particular materials to be used, such as
application temperature and thickness, tension (for tapes or wrappers), and
other items of a similar nature
 Handling requirements for coating materials, such as storage provisions
and maintenance of dry and clean conditions Inspection requirements
Procedure for repair of coating defects

CLASSIFICATION OF COATINGS

According to their ability to resist corrosion, coatings can be classified into four
main categories namely barrier coatings, conversion coatings, anodic coatings, and
cathodic coatings. A brief description of these coatings is given as follows:-
Barrier coatings

Barrier coatings are of four types including organic coatings, inorganic coatings,
anodic oxides, and inhibitive coatings.

Organic Coatings

Epoxy, polyurethane, chlorinated rubber and polyvinyl chloride coatings serve as a

barrier to water, oxygen, and ions. They prevent initiation of any cathodic reactions
at the coating-substrate interface. Their barrier properties can be further enhanced
by addition of suitable inhibitors, like chromate, in the primer.

Inorganic Coatings

These include coatings like ceramics and glass. Glass coatings are virtually
impervious to water. Cement coatings are impervious as long as they are not
mechanically damaged.

Anodic Oxides

A layer of Al2O3 is produced on aluminum surfaces by electrolysis. As the oxides

are porous, they are sealed by a solution of potassium dichromate so as to
minimize coating porosity.

Inhibitive Coatings

Inhibitors are added to form surface layers which not only serve as a barrier against
the hostile environment but also prevent substrate corrosion in neutral or alkaline
media.

Conversion coatings

In case of conversion coatings, the surface metal is converted into a compound

having the desired porosity to act as a good base for coatings Phosphate and
chromate coatings are examples of conversion coatings.

Anodic coatings

In case of steel substrates, they are also known as sacrificial coatings. They protect
the substrate at the expense of the metallic coating applied. The zinc coatings
protect the substrate by acting as a sacrificial anode for the steel which is cathodic
to zinc.
Cathodic coatings

In such types of coating, the metals which are deposited are electropositive to the
substrate like copper coated steel wherein copper (0.337 Volts) is positive to steel
(-0.440 Volts). Electroplated coatings are generally pore-free and discontinuities
are not observed. Since organic coatings have been the focus of attention during
this research work, a brief review of literature on organic coatings is presented
below:-

Organic Coatings

Corrosion protection by organic coatings is accomplished through either a barrier

function or an inhibitive function. The barrier function is achieved by blocking the
entrance of water, oxygen and ions towards the substrate while the inhibitive
function is achieved by modification of the aqueous environment as it moves
through the coating film. The purpose of an organic coating is to promote,
enhance, and maintain a passive or a protective layer on the reactive metal
substrate. The two main types of coatings that have been studied during the course
of this work have been Fusion Bonded Epoxy (FBE) coatings for external
protection of pipelines buried under soil and two-pack polyamide epoxy coatings
used as internal lining of fuel storage tanks. Their brief description is as follows:-

FBE coatings systems can be divided into two main categories namely:-

 FBE single, or multiple coating systems these coatings initially consist of

100% solids thermosetting powders. When electro statically spray applied to
a preheated pipe, the FBE powder material melts flows, gels and cross-links,
forming a tough durable coating.
 Dual-layer FBE systems consist of two differently formulated FBE powders
applied consecutively. The second layer usually is tougher, and has better
 temperature and/or mechanical resistance. Liquid coatings can also be
applied over FBE to impart mechanical resistance. 3-layer polyethylene
coating system
 It is similar to the non-FBE 3-layer polyethylene except an FBE primer is
used in lieu of the liquid epoxy primer. After FBE application, a co- or ter-
polymer an hydride grafted adhesive is applied to bond the polyethylene to
the FBE, followed by application of the polyethylene by wrapping, powder
spray and cure, or extrusion.
 Fusion-bonded epoxy (FBE is considered a superior coating material for
underground oil/gas transmission pipeline protection since it has excellent
adhesion to steel, good chemical resistance, low oxygen permeability, and
good flexibility.
 There are many factors that may affect the long-term performance of a
coating. One of them is its formulation while another may be the surface
preparation of the steel substrate before application of a coating. Improved
adhesion will enhance the FBE/CP performance. Adhesion comes from
mechanical, polar-polar (i.e. hydrogen bonding) and chemical bonding to the
substrate.

The use of two or more layers of FBE coatings provides much greater versatility
to oil/gas pipeline coating-protection-system capability. The primary layer is
typically a coating material designed as part of a corrosion protection system.
That means it has good initial adhesion and maintains adhesion after exposure
to hot water or other environmental factors. For underground pipeline service,
it also must resist cathodic disbondment. The top layer can provided many
different attributes, depending on coating-system requirements. It can provide
protection against mechanical damage - e.g., impact, abrasion, and gouge. Coated
steel pipes are exposed to different types of conditions while being transported
from the coating applicator plant to finally being buried under ground. These
could result into coating damage in the form of holidays, disbondment and
delamination leading to premature failure of the coating substrate system.

PISTON RING

In the early steam engines no piston rings were used. The temperatures and the
steam pressures were not as high as the corresponding parameters in today’s
internal combustion engines, and the need for considering thermal expansions and
clearances was smaller. Increasing power demands required higher temperatures,
which caused stronger heat expansion of the piston material. This made it
necessary to use a sealant between the piston and the cylinder liner to allow a
decrease in the clearance in cold conditions, i.e. when the clearances were at their
maximum. Keeping the clearance between the piston and liner wall at a minimum
considerably reduces the combustion gas flow from the combustion chamber past
the piston. The first piston rings used in an engine had the sole task of sealing off
the combustion chamber, thus preventing the combustion gases from trailing down
into the crankcase. This development increased the effective pressure on the piston.
Rams bottom and Miller were among the pioneers to investigate the behaviour of
the piston rings in steam engines. Rams bottom, in 1854, constructed a single-
piece, metallic piston ring. The free diameter of the ring was 10 per cent larger
than the diameter of the cylinder bore.
 FIG.1. piston rings

When fitted in a groove in a piston, the ring was pressed against the cylinder bore
by its own elasticity. Previous piston rings had consisted of multiple pieces and
with springs to provide an adequate sealing force against the cylinder bore. Miller,
in 1862, introduced a modification to the Rams bottom ring. This modification
consisted of allowing the steam pressure to act on the backside of the ring, hence
providing a higher sealing force. This new solution enabled the use of more
flexible rings, which conformed better to the cylinder bore (Priest and Taylor,
2000). In the early days, the ring pack was lubricated solely by splash lubrication;
i.e. lubrication by the splashing of the rotating crankshaft into the crankcase oil
surface. Subsequently, when the combustion conditions became even more
demanding, i.e. with higher temperatures, pressures and piston speeds, oil control
rings were introduced. A proper lubricant film on the piston, piston rings and liner
wall was required in order to prevent damage. The oil control rings were, and are,
especially designed to appropriately distribute the oil on the cylinder liner and to
scrape off surplus oil to be returned to the crankcase.

MAIN FUNCTIONS OF PISTON RINGS

The functions of a piston ring are to seal off the combustion pressure, to distribute
and control the oil, to transfer heat, and to stabilise the piston. The piston is
designed for thermal expansion, with a desired gap between the piston surface and
liner wall. The 10 rings and the ring grooves form a labyrinth seal, which relatively
well isolates the combustion chamber from the crankcase. The position and design
of the ring pack. The ring face conforms to the liner wall and moves in the groove,
sealing off the route down to the crankcase. The sealing ability of the ring depends
on a number of factors, like ring and liner conformability, pre-tension of the ring,
and gas force distribution on the ring faces. Piston rings forces are discussed in
greater detail in Section 5.2. Some of the combustion chamber heat energy is
transferred through the piston to the piston boundaries, i.e. the piston skirt and
rings, from which heat transfers to the liner wall. Furthermore, the piston rings
prevent excess lubrication oil from moving into the combustion chamber by
scraping the oil from the liner wall during the down stroke. The piston rings
support the piston and thus reduce the slapping motion of the piston, especially
during cold starts where the clearance is greater than in running conditions.

PISTON RINGS COATINGS

Piston ring is one of the most important part of the Diesel/Petrol engines. It is an
open-ended ring that fits into a groove on the outer diameter of a piston in a
reciprocating engine such as an internal combustion engine or steam engine. The
principal function of the piston rings is to form a seal between the combustion
chamber and the crankcase of the engine. The goal is to prevent combustion gases
from passing into the crankcase and oil from passing into the combustion chamber
The three main functions of piston rings in reciprocating engines are:

 Sealing the combustion/expansion chamber.

 Supporting heat transfer from the piston to the cylinder wall.
 Regulating engine oil consumption.
During the compression and power strokes, the compression ring seals the
combustion gases and prevents blow-by. Although blow-by is not completely
eliminated it is kept to an acceptable limit. During the compression and exhaust
strokes the cylinder walls are lubricated with oil by throw off from the connecting
rod bearings. Excess oil is wiped off by the piston rings. Not only does the oil ring
have the responsibility of wiping the excess oil off the cylinder walls, but the job is
also shared by all of the rings, leaving a fine layer of oil on the wall to provide
lubrication for the following ring. As rings wear, the ability to perform these
functions is decreased resulting in oil consumption and blow-by. When this
happens it is time for a new set of rings.

PISTON RING TREATMENT

The pressure and temperature are greatest in the top rings, and these rings will have
higher wear rates than others lower in the piston. The top ring which is subjected to
the greatest load and pressure may be chrome plated or plasma coated. Plasma
coating consists of a layer of very hard powered metals such as molybdenum and
chromium fused to the rubbing surface of the rings. Plasma coating is carried out
with finely powered metal in a steam of gas so hot that the metal molecules
become electrically charged causing fusion with the ring surface layer to form a
very hard rubbing surface. Chrome or plasma coated piston rings must not be used
in the chrome plated liners.

1. Chromium Plating

 On the running surfaces of compression ring and the sharp edges of scrapper
rings.
 Used in four-stroke engines, but not used in chromium plated liners.

2. Plasma Coating
Spraying Elements at Plasma State are:
 Gas mixture – Nitrogen and Hydrogen or Argon gas at temperature 10,000 -
15,000 C most materials and mixtures melt.
 Molybdenum – High resistance against scuffing but poor heat resistance,
 Copper – Suitable for running in period.
 Compounds of Cr, Ni, Mo, and Cr Carbide – High resistance to corrosion,
wear, abrasion and scuffing.

3. Copper plating
4. Ferox coating and Phosphating

MARKET POTENTIAL

Piston ring is the one of the most replaceble part of the diesel/petrol engines. It has
great demand in the replaceble market as well as in new engines market. For the
last few years there is noticeble increase in the automobile industry, which is the
vast market for it. Piston rings are not only used in the automobile industry but also
used in:

 Railway Engines
 Compressors
 Steam Hammers
 Cars
 Retaining Rings
 Pumps
 Industrial Applications
 Cranes
 Gearboxes
So, by maintaining quality and using proper marketting techniques there is alwayes
a great market of this product.
 Chapter-2
LITERATURE REVIEW
 CHAPTER-2

LITERATURE REVIEW

R. Schaub presented a selection of some of the more practically orientated

principles of the successful manufacture of grey cast iron piston rings greater than
175 mm in diameter, and shown that when considered with the sciences of strength
of materials and diesel engineering, the subject of piston rings becomes an
embodiment of the wider subject of tribology. A brief description of the most
important topics of practical piston ring manufacture, and an indication of the vast
size and complicated nature of an industry which concerns itself with one of the
cheapest components of a diesel engine has been given.

P. C. Nautiyal, et al, investigated a large part of the top piston ring wear of
an IC engine which takes place in boundary lubrication around top dead centre
(TDC) position. A quantitative assessment of the frictional behavior using actual
piston ring and cylinder liner under conditions close to TDC was made. The factors
responsible for wear under these conditions have been identified as surface
temperature, peak combustion pressure, total energy on the wearing surfaces and
other physical properties of the material under sliding.

T. H. C. Childs and F. Sabbagh carried out tests to study the wear

mechanisms responsible, particularly the relative importance of high cycle metal
fatigue and chemical reaction film wear. Two types of cast iron used as piston
rings (a grey and a carbidic iron) were used as pins and a cylinder bore material
was used as the ring. Specific loads were varied from 20 to 400 M Pa and the
sliding speed was 0.4 m s-l. The wear mechanisms in the two types of test were
possibly different, as the engine tests produced worn surfaces which when
examined by an optical microscope were bright, whereas the pin-on-ring test
surfaces were covered by patchy non-metallic films. Wear rates, friction
coefficients, percentage metallic contact and plasticity index were measured in the
pin-on-ring tests. Specific wear rates did not correlate with any parameters of
contact stress severity.

Investigated the wear interaction between piston ring and piston groove in a
radial piston hydraulic motor in regard to mass loss and changes in form and
surface roughness. A test rig was developed to simulate the tilting movements of
pistons .The results showed that wear on the piston ring groove can be up to 10
times greater than the wear on the piston ring. Factorial design analysed that the
form of the piston groove significantly influences the amount of wear, the
dominant wear mechanism was mild wear. The most important design variable was
the length of the support surface. The preferred design was a piston groove without
any support plane. Zenon Krzyzak and Pawel Pawlus analysed the surfaces of a
large number of piston skirts surfaces under the zero-wear‖ condition were
analysed. The amplitude of worn piston skirt surfaces decreased, the ordinate
distribution became asymmetric, summit density increased and lay direction
changed from circumferential to axial during wear.

Hawkers and Hardy found that hydrodynamic lubrication (HL) prevailed

throughout most of the engine cycle by friction measurements. They first proposed
the evidence of hydrodynamic lubrication between a piston ring and a cylinder
liner in 1936. Castleman applied the concept of hydrodynamic lubrication to piston
ring analysis. Eilon and Saunders assumed a symmetric parabolic profile, and
calculated the thickness of the oil film and the friction force of the ring. Furuhama
considered a ring profile consisting of a central flat region and two circular arcs at
the two ends. The pressure acting on the piston ring in the radial direction is
assumed to be composed of the pressure at the inner side of the ring and the piston
ring elastic pressure.

In this experimental study alumina-titania and nickel-chromia are used as

thermal barrier materials. These materials are used to reduce the heat loss from
engine. The Coating is performed by Plasma spraying technique. The results
showed a reduction in specific fuel consumption. CO and HC emissions are
slightly more than the conventional coated diesel engine at low and medium loads
but lesser at higher loads whereas nitrogen oxide emissions are reduced. Results
show increase in brake thermal efficiency after coating. This paper discuss about
electroplated nickel ceramic composite coatings. The application of NCC coatings
in two stroke motor cycles and diesel engines has resulted in some benefits.
Reduction in emission and improved fuel economy are observed. Other benefits
includes-Lowering of Cylinder Wall, Piston, Piston ring temperature, Lowering of
Oil consumption, Thermal barrier protection on piston domes, Reduction on
Carbon deposits on piston domes etc. M. Hahna et al., investigated a cylinder that
was run in a road test motor. The relevant piston ring positions that fully describe
the tribo system defined at the combustion chamber (CC), top dead centre (TDC),
stroke and bottom dead centre (BDC). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM)
and energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM) were used to
analyse these contact zones in terms of microstructure and chemistry.
 Chapter-3
MATERIALS AND
METHODS
 Chapter-3

MATERIALS AND METHODS

PISTON RINGS MATERIAL

The materials used to make Piston Rings are one of the most critical factors in its
performance. Listed below is some of today’s common material used in
manufacturing of piston rings and metallic seals:

 Cast iron
 Cast iron alloyed for piston rings
 Nodular cast iron alloyed for piston rings
 Bronze
 Aluminum Bronze
 Phosphor Bronze
 Steel
 Stainless Steels for use in high temperature

MANUFACTURING PROCESS

Piston rings are generally made up of cast iron. The blanks of cast rings of required
size and desired properties are procured from the local foundries. After that blanks
are cleaned and get ground. Then the blanks are undergone through various
processes like facing, rough diameter, rough bore, finish diameter & finish bore.
The rings are generally machined to the required shape by means of turning, a
process in which the ring blank, already axially ground, is copy turned on the
inside and outside diameters. After a segment equivalent to the free gap is cut from
the ring it assumes the free shape that will give it the required radial pressure
distribution when fitted into the cylinder.

TYPES PISTON RING COATINGS

After the completion of machining process the following surface treatments for
piston rings are principally designed to provide corrosion protection for storage,
enhance appearance and improve running.
 Bronze Coating
 Ceramic Chrome Plating
 Chrome Plating
 Copper Plating
 Molybdenum
 Phosphate Coating
 Plasma Sprayed Coating
 Tin Coating

TYPE OF COATING PROCESS

Coating processes may be classified as follows:

 Chemical Vapor deposition

 Physical vapor deposition

CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION

Main article:

 Metalorganic vapour phase epitaxy

 Electrostatic spray assisted vapour deposition (ESAVD)
  Sherardizing
 Some forms of Epitaxy
 Molecular beam epitaxy

CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION (CVD)

Definition of CVD

Chemical vapor deposition may be defined as the deposition of a solid on a heated

surface from a chemical reaction in the vapor phase. It belongs to the class of
vapor-transfer processes which is atomistic in nature that is the deposition species
are atoms or molecules or a combination of these. Beside CVD, they include
various physical vapor deposition processes (PVD) such as evaporation, sputtering,
molecular beam epitaxy, and ion plating Deposition can also take place due to a
chemical reaction between some reactants on the substrate.

 In this case reactant gases (precursors) are pumped in to a reaction chamber

(reactor).
 Under the right conditions (T, P), they undergo a reaction at the substrate.
 One of the products of the reaction gets deposited on the substrate.
 The by-products are pumped out.
 • The key parameters are chemical (reaction rates, gas transport, diffusion).

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is a versatile process suitable for the

manufacturing of coatings, powders, fibers, and monolithic components. With
CVD, it is possible to produce most metals, many nonmetallic elements such as
carbon and silicon as well as a large number of compounds including carbides,
nitrides, oxides, inters metallics, and many others. This technology is now an
essential factor in the manufacture of semiconductors and other electronic
components, in the coating of tools, bearings, and other wear resistant parts and in
many optical, optoelectronic and corrosion applications. The market for CVD
products in the U.S. and abroad is expected to reach several billions dollars by the
end of the century. The wide range of CVD products is illustrated by the following
recent commercial products:

 Diffusion barrier layers for advanced semiconductor integrated circuits of

titanium nitride deposited by metallo organic CVD (MOCVD)
 Diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings produced by plasma CVD for
bushings and textile components with much improved wear resistance

PHYSICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION

Main article: Physical vapor deposition

 Cathodic arc deposition

 Electron beam physical vapor deposition (EBPVD)
 Ion plating
 Ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD)
 Magnetron sputtering
 Pulsed laser deposition
 Sputter deposition
 Vacuum deposition
 Vacuum evaporation, evaporation (deposition)

For the evaporation process the substance to be evaporated is heated in a dedicated

container (ceramic crucible, Ta boat, W spiral wire etc.) by the introduction of
energy (electrical current, electron beam, laser, arc discharger etc.) to a suitable
temperature. The thermally released atoms or molecules leave the surface of the
evaporated material and form a coating on the substrate or on the surrounding
walls. To guarantee well defined film properties the substrate temperature often
has to be as high as some 100°C. This can be achieved by using heating rods or
quartz lamps. Employing glow electrodes allows for a cleaning of the substrate by
ion or electron bombardment which is extremely important for a good coating
adhesion. A suitable vacuum system equipped with gas inlets and different
mechanical devices (screening arrangements, shutter, motor powered substrate
movement) has to be available to perform an evaporation process.

 So far we have seen deposition techniques that physically transport material

from a condensed phase source to a substrate.
 The material to be deposited is somehow emitted from the source already in
the form that we need for the thin film (ex.: evaporation, sputtering).
 No chemical reactions are assumed. In fact, they are generally unwanted. If
there are chemical reactions (as in reactive sputtering) they are simple
reactions with no by-products.
 The critical parameters are physical (temperature, pressure, voltage applied,
etc.)

PROBLEMS IDENTIFICATION

Wear Ring

In case of a short iron skirt of slightly larger diameter containing a lead bronze
wearing ring is secured between the piston and piston rod.
1. Wear rings are fitted into circumferential-machined grooves.
2. They are usually fitted into two pieces with good clearance at the butts to alloy
for thermal expansion.
3. They provide a rubbing surface with low friction characteristics and they
prevent the hot upper side-wall of the piston making contact with the working
surface of the liner.
4. Working clearance is maintained by wear ring.
5. In trunk piston engines, the use of wear rings allow the detrimental effects of
trunk distortion caused by the interference fit of gudgeon pins in the piston
trunk. They are fitted above and below the gudgeon pin location

Reason for Piston Ring Failure

 Insufficient piston ring and groove clearance, which causes the ring to jam in
the groove at working temperatures, as a result blow-by occurs and the ring
may break.
  Insufficient cylinder lubrication.
 Large amount of wear in cylinder liner.
 Excessive diametrical clearance between the piston and cylinder liner.
 Excessive wear on piston ring lading face in the piston ring groove
 Ring gap too small, this usually leads to ring breakage, but could ultimately
lead to disastrous consequences.
 Incorrect preparation of ends of piston ring adjusting gap.
 Radius at top and bottom of exhaust and scavenge ports in the cylinder liner
inadequate, the ring then receiving a shock when sliding past the port edges.
 Wear on the port bars relative to cylinder liner working surface is such that
surface of the bar is below the surface of the liner

SELECTION COATING MATERIALS

1. ZINC

Zinc, like all metals, corrodes when exposed to the atmosphere. However, because
of its ability to form dense, adherent corrosion byproducts, the rate of corrosion is
considerably lower than ferrous materials (10 to 100 times slower depending on
the environment). Zinc corrosion products develop naturally on the surface as the
coating is exposed to natural wet and dry cycles in the atmosphere and are often
referred to as the zinc patina. The zinc patina acts as an additional barrier between
the steel and the environment. There are a number of zinc coatings which are often
generically termed “galvanizing,” but each has unique characteristics. These
characteristics not only affect applicability, but also economics and performance in
the environment. The method of application, adhesion to the base metal, hardness,
corrosion resistance, and thickness (Figure 2) of each zinc coating varies
 PROPERTIES VALUE

Melting point: 419.5 °C

Atomic number: 30

Boiling point: 907 °C

Preparing the steel for the continuous hot-dip coating begins with cleaning in an
alkaline liquid combined with brushing, rinsing, and drying. Then, the steel passes
into the heating or annealing furnace to soften it and impart the desired strength
and formability. In this annealing furnace, the steel is maintained under a reducing
gas atmosphere, composed of hydrogen and nitrogen, to remove any oxide that
may be on the surface. Just as in the batch process, the steel must be completely
clean of oxides and contaminants for a successful coating.

2. CHROMIUM

Chromium is a chemical element with symbol Cr and atomic number 24. It is the
first element in Group 6. It is a steely-grey, lustrous, hard and brittle metal which
takes a high polish, resists tarnishing, and has a high melting point. The name ofthe
element is derived from the color because many of its compounds are intensely
colored. Chromium oxide was used by the Chinese in the Qin dynasty over 2,000
years ago to coat metal weapons found with the Terracotta Army.

PROPERTIES VALUE
Density 7.19 g.cm-3 at 20°C

Melting point 1907 °C

Boiling point 2672 °C

Atomic number 24

Chromium was discovered as an element after it came to the attention of the

Western world in the red crystalline mineral crocoite (lead (II) chromate),
discovered in 1761 and initially used as a pigment. Louis Nicolas Vauquelin first
isolated chromium metal from this mineral in 1797. Since Vauquelin's first
production of metallic chromium, small amounts of native (free) chromium metal
have been discovered in rare minerals, but these are not used commercially.
Instead, nearly all chromium is commercially extracted from the single
commercially viable ore chromite, which is iron chromium oxide (FeCr2O4).
Chromite is also now the chief source of chromium for chromium pigments

3. NICKEL

Nickel is a chemical element with symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-
white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition
metals and is hard and ductile. Pure nickel shows a significant chemical activity
that can be observed when nickel is powdered to maximize the exposed surface
area on which reactions can occur, but larger pieces of the metal are slow to react
with air at ambient conditions due to the formation of a protective oxide surface.
Even then, nickel is reactive enough with oxygen that native nickel is rarely found
on Earth's surface, being mostly confined to the interiors of larger nickel iron
meteorites that were protected from oxidation during their time in space.

On Earth, such native nickel is found in combination with iron, a reflection

of those elements' origin as major end products of supernova nucleo synthesis. An
iron–nickel mixture is thought to compose Earth’sinner core Pure native nickel is
found in tiny amounts, usually in ultramafic rocks. The use of nickel (as a
natural meteoric nickel–iron alloy) has been traced as far back as 3500 BCE.
Nickel was first isolated and classified as a chemical element in 1751 by Axel
Fredrik Cronstedt, who initially mistook its ore for a copper mineral. The element's
name comes from a mischievous sprite of German miner mythology, Nickel
(similar to Old Nick), that personified the fact that copper-nickel ores resisted
refinement into copper.

PROPERTIES VALUE

Thermal conductivity 93.9 W/(m·K)

Young's modulus 279 GPa

Bulk modulus 160 GPa

Poisson ratio 0.21

An economically important source of nickel is the iron orelimonite, which often

contains 1–2% nickel. Nickel's other important ore minerals include garnierite,
and pentlandite. Major production sites include the Sudbury
region in Canada (which is thought to be of meteoric origin),New Caledonia in
the Pacific, and Norilsk in Russia. Because of nickel's slow rate of oxidation at
room temperature, it is considered corrosion-resistant

METHODS

PVD COATING PROCESS

Physical vapor deposition (PVD) is fundamentally a vaporization coating

technique, involving transfer of material on an atomic level. It is an alternative
process to electroplating the process is similar to chemical vapor deposition (CVD)
except that the raw materials precursors, i.e. the material that is going to be
deposited starts out in solid form. PVD processes are carried out under vacuum
conditions. The process involved four steps:

 Evaporation

 Transportation

 Reaction

 Deposition

Evaporation

During this stage, a target, consisting of the material to be deposited is bombarded

by a high energy source such as a beam of electrons or ions. This dislodges atoms
from the surface of the target, ‘vaporizing’ them. Stage For the above examples,
the reactive gases may be oxygen, nitrogen and methane.

Transport

This process simply consists of the movement of ‘vaporized’ atoms from the target
to the substrate to be coated and will generally be a straight line affair.
Reaction

In some cases coatings will consist of metal oxides, nitrides, carbides and other
such materials. In these cases, the target will consist of the metal. The atoms of
metal will then react with the appropriate gas during the transport stage. For the
above examples, the reactive gases may be oxygen, nitrogen and methane. In
instances where the coating consists of the target material alone, this step would
not be part of the process.

Deposition

This is the process of coating build up on the substrate surface. Depending on the
actual process, some reactions between target materials and the reactive gases may
also take place at the substrate surface simultaneously with the deposition process.
 Chapter-4
MECHANICAL PROPERTY
TESTING
 Chapter-4

Mechanical property testing

TYPE OF TEST

 Wear test

 Knoop hardness test

PIN ON DISC WEAR TESTER

Surface engineering point of view, wear test is carried out to evaluate the potential
of using a certain surface engineering technology to reduce wear for a specific
application, and to investigate the effect of treatment conditions (processing
parameters) on the wear performance, so that optimized surface treatment
conditions can be realized. In a pin-on-disc wear tester, a pin is loaded against a
flat rotating disc specimen such that a circular wear path is described by the
machine. The machine can be used to evaluate wear and friction properties of
materials under pure sliding conditions.
Either disc or pin can serve as specimen, while the other as counter face. Pin with
various geometry can be used. A convenient way is to use ball of commercially
available materials such as bearing steel, tungsten carbide or alumina (Al2O3) as
counter face, so that the name of ball-on-disc is used.

KNOOP HARDNESS TEST

The Knoop hardness test is a micro hardness test - a test for mechanical hardness
used particularly for very brittle materials or thin sheets, where only a small
indentation may be made for testing purpose.
A pyramid diamond point is pressed into the polished surface of the test material
with a known (often 100g) Load, for a specified dwell time, and the resulting
indentation is measured using a microscope.
ADVANTAGES
 Chapter-5

ADVANTAGES

PVD coatings are sometimes harder and more corrosion resistant than
coatings applied by the electroplating process. Most coatings have high
temperature and good impact strength, excellent abrasion resistance and are
so durable that protective topcoats are almost never necessary.

 Improved corrosion protection

 Improved abrasion resistance
 No dimensional changes
 Improved lubricity
 Reduces light glare and reflection
 No welding fumes
APPLICATION
 Chapter-6

APPLICATION

 Using Automobile components

CONCLUSION
 Chapter-7

CONCLUSION

PVD coatings are generally used to improve hardness, wear resistance and
oxidation resistance. The effect of the coating (Zr, Ni, Cr) on performance
characteristics were conducted on wear resistance piston ring. The knoop
hardness and wear rate behavior of the resultant deposition were investigated
with the following Increasing of percentage (Zr, Ni, Cr) causes decreasing the
wear rate. The major conclusions drawn from these experiments are as the coated
ring was exposed to higher friction of wears and the compared to the normal
piston ring and (Zr, Ni, Cr) coated piston rings. In this coated rings to improve
the hardness, wear and corrosion resistance
REFERENCE
 Chapter-8

REFERENCE

 Ahn, H.-S., Kim, J.-Y. and Lim, D.-S. Tribological behaviour of plasma-
sprayed zirconia coatings. Wear, 203-204(1997), pp. 77–87.
 Akalin, O. and Newaz, G. M. A new experimental technique for friction
simulation in automotive piston ring and cylinder liners. Society of
Automotive Engineers, Inc., 1998, SAE Paper 981407, 6 p.
 Akalin, O. and Newaz, G. M. Piston ring - cylinder bore friction modeling in
mixed lubrication: Part II - Correlation with bench test data. Trans ASME -
Journal of Tribology, 123(2001)1, pp. 219–223.
 Akimoto, Y., Maruya, T., Sugihara, H. and Kobayashi, H. Analysis of piston
top rings half-stick phenomena using optical technology. JSAE Review.
21(2000)3, pp. 396–400.
 Amoser, M. Insights into piston-running behaviour. Wärtsilä Corporation,
Marine News, (2001)2, pp. 23–27.
 Andersson, P. Measurements on piston ring friction using a newly developed
tribometer. Paper presented at the 10th Nordic Symposium on Tribology -
NORDTRIB 2002, Stockholm, Sweden, 9th–12th June 2002. Stockholm,
Sweden, 2002, Royal Institute of Technology KTH, Nordtrib 2002 Keynotes
and Abstracts, CD-ROM, TRITA-MMK 2002:03, ISSN 1400-1179, ISRN
KTH/MMK/R-02/03-SE. 10 p.
 Arcoumanis, C. , Duszynski, M., Flora, H. and Ostovar, P. Development of a
pistonring lubrication test-rig and investigation of boundary conditions for
modelling lubricant film properties. Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc.,
1995, SAE Paper 952468, 19 p.