Abstract: The present invention addresses the problem of providing a CrN coating film which has excellent peeling resistance such that peeling thereof starting at a crack is unlikely to occur even in a more severe lubrication environment. The problem is solved by a CrN coating film which has a preferred orientation of 200 as determined by XRD, and in which the X-ray diffraction intensity ratio of the (200) plane with respect to the (111) plane, (200)/(111), is 5.5 or higher, and the ratio of crystal grains of 1 ?m or smaller is 85% or higher in a crystal grain size distribution measured by an EBSD analysis.

Abstract: The present invention addresses the problem of providing a piston ring covered with a DLC coating that has excellent wear resistance and shows a low attacking property on a cylinder bore sliding surface. The problem is solved by a piston ring which is used in the presence of an engine lubricating oil and includes a DLC coating on an outer peripheral sliding surface. The DLC coating has an sp2 component ratio of 0.5 to 0.85 as determined from a TEM-EELS spectrum obtained by a combination of a transmission electron microscope (TEM) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), as well as a coating hardness of 12 GPa to 26 GPa and a Young's modulus of 250 GPa or less as measured by a nanoindentation method.

Abstract: The present invention addresses the problem of providing a piston ring covered with a DLC coating that has excellent wear resistance and shows a low attacking property on a cylinder bore sliding surface. The problem is solved by a piston ring which is used in the presence of an engine lubricating oil and includes a DLC coating on an outer peripheral sliding surface. The DLC coating has an sp2 component ratio of 0.5 to 0.85 as determined from a TEM-EELS spectrum obtained by a combination of a transmission electron microscope (TEM) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), as well as a coating hardness of 12 GPa to 26 GPa and a Young's modulus of 250 GPa or less as measured by a nanoindentation method.

Abstract: A piston ring which is provided with a carbon-based coating which has a low friction property and wear resistance, that is, a piston ring which has a carbon-based coating formed over its sliding surface, in which piston ring, the coating is a multilayer coating comprised of two types of layers having different hardnesses laminated in at least two layers, a hardness difference between the two types of layers is 500 to 1700 HV, a high hardness layer has the same or greater thickness than a low hardness layer, and the coating as a whole has a thickness of 5.0 ?m or more. The high hardness layer has a thickness of 5 to 90 nm. The surface on which the coating is formed has a base material roughness of 1.0 ?mRz or less.

Abstract: A piston ring which is provided with a carbon-based coating which has a low friction property and wear resistance, that is, a piston ring which has a carbon-based coating formed over its sliding surface, in which piston ring, the coating is a multilayer coating comprised of two types of layers having different hardnesses laminated in at least two layers, a hardness difference between the two types of layers is 500 to 1700 HV, a high hardness layer has the same or greater thickness than a low hardness layer, and the coating as a whole has a thickness of 5.0 ?m or more. The high hardness layer has a thickness of 5 to 90 nm. The surface on which the coating is formed has a base material roughness of 1.0 ?mRz or less.

Abstract: A piston ring which is provided with a carbon-based coating which has a low friction property and wear resistance, that is, a piston ring which has a carbon-based coating formed over its sliding surface, in which piston ring, the coating is a multilayer coating comprised of two types of layers having different hardnesses laminated in at least two layers, a hardness difference between the two types of layers is 500 to 1700 HV, a high hardness layer has the same or greater thickness than a low hardness layer, and the coating as a whole has a thickness of 5.0 ?m or more. The high hardness layer has a thickness of 5 to 90 nm. The surface on which the coating is formed has a base material roughness of 1.0 ?mRz or less.

Abstract: A piston ring has a diamond-like carbon film formed in a thickness of 0.5 to 30 micrometers over an under film on the upper and lower surfaces. The under film is directly formed on the surfaces, or formed on a hard surface treatment layer consisting of a gas nitrided layer or a chromium plating film. The diamond-like carbon is configured with any one of an amorphous carbon structure, an amorphous carbon structure having partly a diamond structure, or an amorphous carbon structure having partly a graphite structure. The under film is comprised of one or more elements selected from the group consisting of silicon, titanium, tungsten, chromium, molybdenum, niobium and vanadium in an atomic content of 70 percent or more and below 100 percent, and the remaining content consisting of carbon, or one or more of said elements in an atomic content of 100 percent. The films may also be formed in the same way on the outer circumferential surface of the piston ring.

Abstract: A piston ring is formed over the entire surface with a gas nitrided layer. A diamond-like carbon film is formed in a thickness of 0.5 to 30 micrometers over the gas nitrided layer at the upper and lower surfaces. The diamond-like carbon film has a surface structure in which diamond-like carbon has been deposited in nodular shapes in sizes of 0.5 to 5 micrometers. The diamond-like carbon is configured with any one of an amorphous carbon structure, an amorphous carbon structure having partly a diamond structure, or an amorphous carbon structure having partly a graphite structure.

Abstract: A piston ring is formed over the entire surface with a gas nitrided layer and a hard film with a thickness of 0.5 to 30 micrometers on the gas nitrided layer at the upper and lower surfaces. The hard film comprises diamond-like carbon in which are dispersed one or more elements selected from the group consisting of silicon, titanium, tungsten, chromium, molybdenum, niobium, and vanadium. The diamond-like carbon is configured with any one of an amorphous carbon structure, an amorphous carbon structure having partly a diamond structure, or an amorphous carbon structure having partly a graphite structure. The content of the above elements is 5 to 40 atomic percent, and the hard film has a Vicker's hardness in a range from 700 to 2,000. The hard film may be formed directly on the upper and lower surfaces of the piston ring in a thickness from 0.

Abstract: A piston ring is formed over the entire surface with a gas nitrided layer and a hard film with a thickness of 0.5 to 10 micrometers on the gas nitrided layer at the outer circumferential surface. The hard film comprises diamond-like carbon in which are dispersed carbides of one or more elements selected from the group consisting of silicon, titanium, tungsten, chromium, molybdenum, niobium, and vanadium. The diamond-like carbon is configured with any one of an amorphous carbon structure, an amorphous carbon structure having partly a diamond structure, or an amorphous carbon structure having partly a graphite structure. The content of the above elements is 5 to 40 atomic percent, and the hard film has a Vicker's hardness in a range from 700 to 2,000. A chromium plating film or ion plating film may be used instead of the gas nitrided layer.