A radial bearing assembly is provided. The radial bearing assembly includes polycrystalline diamond elements, each having an engagement surface in sliding engagement with an opposing engagement surface. The opposing engagement surface includes a diamond reactive material. The radial bearing assembly may be deployed in a variety of components and applications, including in rotor and stator assemblies. Also provided are methods of use of the radial bearing assembly, as well as methods of designing the radial bearing assembly.

The present disclosure provides a bearing design that accommodates misalignment of a rotatable shaft in the bearing and is well suited to usage in a particulate-laden fluid. The bearing can be shaped with a curved surface along a longitudinal axis of the bearing, such as in a curved barrel shape or a ball shape, to provide a point contact instead of a line contact as is the case with conventional plain bearings. The point contact allows the bearing to adjust with a misalignment between ends of the shaft or between the external supports and facilitates the assembly and disassembly of the rotating shaft. Because the bearing compensates for misalignment, the bearing surfaces can have closer tolerances for a smaller gap between the bearing surfaces, which can result in improved performance.

Embodiments of the invention are directed to bearing assemblies configured to effectively provide heat dissipation for bearing elements, bearing apparatuses including such bearing assemblies, and methods of operating such bearing assemblies and apparatuses. In an embodiment, a bearing assembly includes a plurality of superhard bearing elements distributed about an axis. Each superhard bearing element of the plurality of superhard bearing elements has a superhard table including a superhard surface. The bearing assembly includes a support ring structure coupled to the plurality of superhard bearing elements. One or more of the superhard bearing elements includes a superhard table, which may improve heat transfer from such superhard bearing elements.

Provided is a technique whereby a DLC film having a desired surface roughness and a desired film hardness can be easily formed within a short period of time while preventing cost increase so that a large quantity of boll joints, which are less expensive and yet have stable sliding characteristics, can be supplied. A method for manufacturing a ball joint provided with a ball stud that has a spherical surface section and a holder section that pivotally holds the spherical surface section, said method comprising: an intermediate underlayer-forming step for forming an intermediate underlayer, that has a fine irregular surface structure, on the surface of the spherical surface section using a sputtering method; and an amorphous hard carbon film-forming step for forming an amorphous hard carbon film, that has a root mean square roughness on the surface of 6.5-35 nm, on the intermediate underlayer using a PIG plasma film formation method.

Bearing assemblies, apparatuses, and motor assemblies using the same are disclosed. In an embodiment, a bearing assembly may include a plurality of superhard bearing elements distributed circumferentially about an axis. Each of the superhard bearing elements may include a bearing surface. The bearing assembly may also include a support ring structure having a support ring that carries the superhard bearing elements. The support ring structure may include at least one erosion resistant region exhibiting a higher erosion resistance than another region of the support ring.

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to bearing apparatuses including a bearing assembly having a continuous superhard bearing element including a continuous superhard bearing surface and a tilting pad bearing assembly. The disclosed bearing apparatuses may be employed in pumps, turbines or other mechanical systems. In an embodiment, the bearing apparatus includes a first and second bearing assembly. The first bearing assembly includes a first support ring and a plurality of tilting pads. Each tilting pad is tilted and/or tiltably secured relative to the first support ring. The second bearing assembly includes a continuous superhard bearing element. The continuous superhard bearing element includes a continuous superhard bearing surface facing the plurality of tilting pads and exhibits a maximum lateral width greater than about 2 inches.

A sliding element for use in an internal combustion engine may include a ferrous base having a peripheral sliding surface covered by a protective surface layer, the protective surface layer including at least one nitride applied via at least one of physical vapour deposition and a nitrided layer. The peripheral sliding surface may have a diamond like carbon (DLC) coating disposed thereon. The coating may include at least one of (a) one or more transition layers composed of WC1-x and (b) an adhesive layer of metallic chromium with a crystal structure. The coating may include an intermediate layer of metal DLC, the metal may be tungsten in a multilayer structure of a-C:H:W and a-C:H, and an outer layer of metal-free DLC.

Durability-enhanced bearing assemblies, apparatuses, and motor assemblies using the same are disclosed. In an embodiment, a bearing assembly may include a plurality of superhard bearing elements distributed circumferentially about an axis. Each of the superhard bearing elements includes a bearing surface. The bearing assembly may further include a support ring structure that carries the plurality of superhard bearing elements. The support ring structure may have a first portion that exhibits a first yield strength and a second portion that exhibits a second yield strength. The first yield strength of the first portion may be greater than the second yield strength of the second portion.

A thrust washer is provided with a ring-shaped portion that surrounds an insertion hole, the thrust washer is provided with a sliding surface and an oil groove configured to allow lubricating oil to flow in, the oil groove is provided with an opening portion configured to allow the lubricating oil to flow in from the insertion hole side in an inner peripheral end side, an outer periphery end side of the ring-shaped portion of at least one of the oil groove is provided with an oil stop wall which is configured to suppress flow of the lubricating oil toward an outer periphery side of the ring-shaped portion, and a sliding area ratio of each of the sliding surfaces to a projection plane in plan view of the ring-shaped portion is provided within a range of from 60% to 85%

An apparatus is provided that includes a diamond bearing surface positioned in sliding engagement with an opposing bearing surface of a diamond reactive material. The opposing bearing surface is hardened via a material treatment.