A sliding member includes a back metal layer and a sliding layer on the back metal layer. The sliding layer includes a synthetic resin matrix and graphite particles dispersed in the matrix in a volume ratio of 5-50% of that of the sliding layer. The graphite particles are composed of spheroidal and flake-like particles. The flake-like particles have a volume ratio of 10-40% of total graphite particles. The spheroidal particles have a cross-sectional structure with a plurality of AB planes of a graphite crystal laminated along a curved particle surface, from the surface toward a center direction. The flake-like graphite particles have a cross-sectional structure with the plurality of AB planes laminated in a thickness direction of the thin plate shape. The spheroidal particles have an average particle size of 3-50 μm, and the flake-like graphite particles have an average particle size of 1-25 μm.

The present invention concerns a friction piece (10) suitable for operating in a lubricated medium at a temperature higher than 200° C. The piece (10) comprises a metal surface (12) and an external coating (14) composed of tungsten carbide doped with nitrogen WC(N) with an atomic ratio of nitrogen between 5 and 12%. The invention also relates to a mechanical system (1) comprising such a piece (10). The invention also relates to a method for implementing such a piece (10).

Disclosed herein is a sliding member for an internal-combustion engine of an automobile or the like. The sliding member has excellent sliding properties due to high oleophilicity of its sliding surface achieved by adjusting the surface texture of a resin layer forming the sliding surface, which makes it possible to effectively prevent wear or seizure of the sliding member and a counterpart sliding member thereof. The sliding member includes a resin layer provided on a surface of a base material, in which the resin layer has a surface roughness of 1.05 or more, preferably 1.07 or more. The mean spacing (s) between local peaks of the resin layer may be in the range of 2 μm or more but 12 μm or less, but may be preferably in the range of 2 μm or more but 10 μm or less. Further, the mean height (Rc) of the resin layer may be in the range of 0.5 μm or more but 5.0 μm or less, but may be preferably in the range of 0.5 μm or more but 3.0 μm or less.

The present invention aims to provide solid particles with improved lubrication, a solid lubricant including the solid particles, and a metal member including, on the surface thereof, the solid particles or the solid lubricant. The solid particles of the present invention include base particles and carbon fluoride particles attached to surfaces of the base particles.

A sliding member includes: a lining layer formed from an alloy having a predetermined shape; and an overlay layer formed on an inner circumferential surface of the lining layer, the overlay layer being formed of a resin, the overlay layer sliding with a shaft, the overlay layer including a raised portion a height of which in a predetermined area including each of an edge in an axial direction of the shaft is greater than a height of another area of the overlay layer.

A strain wave gearing has contact parts which are the portions to be lubricated other than the teeth of an externally toothed gear and an internally toothed gear, the contact parts being respectively lubricated with an inorganic lubricating powder having a lamellar crystal structure. The lubricating powder, during the operation of the strain wave gearing, is crushed between the contact surfaces of each of the contact parts to move and adhere to the contact surfaces, thereby forming thin surface films thereon. Additionally, the powder is thinly spread by pressure and reduced into finer particles to change into a shape which facilitates intrusion into the space between the contact surfaces. By both the fine particles having changed in shape and the surface films, the lubrication of the contact parts is maintained. Neither the fine particles nor the surface films are viscous.

An engine oil additive includes carbon nanotubes and boron nitride particulates dispersed within a fluid. The additive is configured to be mixed with a quantity of oil such that the quantity of oil has a concentration from 0.05 to 0.5 grams of carbon nanotubes and of boron nitride particulates per quart of oil to improve the lubricity of the oil. The additive improves the horsepower and torque of the engine while reducing fuel consumption. The carbon nanotubes have an —OH functionalized exterior surface. The carbon nanotubes have a diameter from 1 nanometer to 50 nanometers and have a length from 1 micron to 1000 microns. The boron nitride particulates are hex-boron nitride structures having an average size from 30 nanometers to 500 nanometers.

An engine oil additive includes carbon nanotubes and boron nitride particulates dispersed within a fluid. The additive is configured to be mixed with a quantity of oil such that the quantity of oil has a concentration from 0.05 to 0.5 grams of carbon nanotubes and of boron nitride particulates per quart of oil to improve the lubricity of the oil. The additive improves the horsepower and torque of the engine while reducing fuel consumption. The carbon nanotubes have an —OH functionalized exterior surface. The carbon nanotubes have a diameter from 1 nanometer to 50 nanometers and have a length from 1 micron to 1000 microns. The boron nitride particulates are hex-boron nitride structures having an average size from 30 nanometers to 500 nanometers.

The invention relates to liquid dispersion containing surface treated inorganic particle selected from the group consisting of Al.sub.2O.sub.3, AlN, Si.sub.3N.sub.4, SiC, WS.sub.2 and mixtures thereof and at least one liquid fluorinated compound, manufacturing process thereof, and use of such dispersion for increasing thermal conductivity of oil lubricants or heat transfer fluids.

The invention relates to liquid dispersion containing surface treated inorganic particle selected from the group consisting of Al.sub.2O.sub.3, AlN, Si.sub.3N.sub.4, SiC, WS.sub.2 and mixtures thereof and at least one liquid fluorinated compound, manufacturing process thereof, and use of such dispersion for increasing thermal conductivity of oil lubricants or heat transfer fluids.