Diesel Engine Cylinder Bore Coating for Extreme Operating Conditions

Adiabatics, Inc., with the support of the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research & Development Engineering Center (TARDEC) has developed a low cost, durable ceramic composite cylinder bore coating for diesel engines operating under severe conditions. This bore coating is a ceramic composite consisting primarily of Iron Oxide, Iron Titanate and Partially Stabilized Zirconia. It is applied by unique chemical thermal bonding technology developed at Adiabatics, Inc. and is referred to as Low Temperature Iron Titanate (LTIT). This coating has been tested against a wide range of cylinder bore treatments ranging from hard chrome plate to hard Nickel Silicon Carbide (NikaSil) and found to provide a superior sliding wear surface. It is superior because it is compatible against most common piston ring materials and coatings. As compared to other liner treatments, it displays superior running in or break in performance of the ring against the cylinder liner and yields significantly better wear rates under high wear extreme loading engine operating conditions. These conditions include top ring reversal temperatures exceeding 700°F and 320 psi bmep over the entire range of engine speed and loads. Current work is being performed to bring this cylinder liner coating to the commercial marketplace.