A bearing providing a plurality of rolling elements and at least one raceway for the rolling elements. The at least one raceway or the rolling elements include a tungsten carbide coating. In some embodiments, the tungsten carbide coating may be a Nano-structured tungsten carbide coating. In some embodiments, the at least one raceway or the rolling elements may comprise a steel substrate covered with the tungsten carbide coating. Embodiments also relate to a method for producing a bearing. The method includes coating a plurality of rolling elements or at least one raceway for the rolling elements with a tungsten carbide coating. In some embodiments, the tungsten carbide coating may be a Nano-structured tungsten carbide coating.

A Hybrid ball bearing including an outer raceway, an inner raceway, and a plurality of balls arranged between the inner raceway and the outer raceway. The outer raceway and the inner raceway are made from bearing steel and have a first surface RMS roughness R.sub.q1. At least one ball of the plurality of balls is made from a ceramic material and has a second surface RMS roughness R.sub.q2. In a mint condition, the roughness of the raceways R.sub.q1 is 2 to 5 times higher than the roughness R.sub.q2 of the at least one ball, as well as a refrigerant compressor comprising such a hybrid ball bearing.

A Hybrid rolling bearing includes an inner raceway and an outer raceway and a plurality of rolling elements arranged therebetween. The outer raceway and the inner raceway are made from bearing steel, having a first surface RMS roughness R.sub.q1. The rolling elements are made from a ceramic material and have second surface RMS roughnesses R.sub.q2,i. At least one of the rolling elements has an increased surface RMS roughness R.sub.q2,N, which is significantly higher than the RMS roughnesses R.sub.q2,i, of the remaining rolling elements. The hybrid rolling bearing can be installed within a refrigerant compressor.

A solid lubricant is for a bearing and includes at least thirty percent by weight of graphite, a binding material, and inorganic lubricating nanoparticles. Also, a bearing filled with the solid lubricant is provided.

A roller bearing includes inner and outer rings each having a raceway, an annular space between the raceways, and a plurality of rolling elements and a lubricating grease in the annular space. The raceways have a predetermined roughness value within a first predetermined range, and the lubricating grease contains graphene particles uniformly dispersed in a suspension in the lubricating grease. The graphene particles have an at least substantially circular shape, a diameter within a second predetermined range and a thickness within a third predetermined range. An amount of the lubricating grease in the annular space and the first, second and third predetermined ranges are selected such that a self-regenerating mat of graphene that at least partially coats the raceways will develop in use as a result of a relative rotation between the inner and outer rings and the rolling/sliding of the rolling elements on the raceways.

A low-wear fluoropolymer composite body comprises at least one fluoropolymer and additive particles dispersed therein. Also provided is a process for the fabrication of such a fluoropolymer composite body. The composite body exhibits a low wear rate for sliding motion against a hard counterface, and may be formulated with either melt-processible or non-melt-processible fluoropolymers.

A coated component, in particular to a rolling bearing part, made from a metallic substrate (2), and a PVD coating (3), which is applied to the substrate (2), formed of chromium and having a thickness of less than 2 m, wherein the PVD coating (3) forms the surface of the component, and a compound of chromium and at least one further element is formed on the component surface.

A sliding bearing for an internal combustion engine having a plastics polymer-based composite layer on a substrate, the composite layer comprising: a matrix of plastics polymer-based material having distributed throughout the matrix; 0.1 to 5% vol carbon nanostructures; and incidental impurities; and a method of manufacture of such a sliding bearing.

Methods for synthesis of nanocrystalline apatites are presented, as well as a series of specific reaction parameters that can be adjusted to tailor, in specific ways, properties in the recovered product. Particulate apatite compositions having average crystal size of less than 150 nm are provided. Products also can have a surface area of at least 40 m.sup.2/g and can be of high density. Hydroxyapatite material is investigated in particular detail. Compositions of the invention can be used as prosthetic implants and coatings for prosthetic implants.