A thrust foil bearing 40 having a thrust bearing surface S formed by arranging a plurality of leaves 42 side by side in a circumferential direction, in which each of the leaves 42 has a top foil portion Tf that forms the thrust bearing surface S, and a ratio of a circumferential length A of the top foil portion Tf of one of the leaves 42 at a radially central position of the top foil portion Tf, to a radial length B from an inner diameter-side edge 423 to an outer diameter-side edge 424 of the top foil portion Tf is 0.66 or less.

A resin material 16 for a sliding member contains a synthetic resin 18, graphite particles 20 dispersed in the synthetic resin 18, and a hard material 24. The synthetic resin 18 contains 5% or more by volume and 30% or less by volume of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) 22. The graphite particles 20 have an average particle diameter of 0.5 μm or more and 5.0 μm or less and have a content of 1% or more by volume and 15% or less by volume in the synthetic resin 18.

To provide a rotor for electric water pumps in which a sliding bearing formed of a thermoplastic resin composition can be produced at a low cost and has superior low friction and low wear property, and an inner diameter of the sliding bearing is hardly contracted by the insert-molding. A rotor 1 used for electric water pumps has a main body 2 that supports an impeller of the pump, a sliding bearing 3 that rotatably supports a shaft, and a magnet 4 disposed to face a stator. The sliding bearing 3 is an annealing treated body of a polyphenylene sulfide resin composition. The polyphenylene sulfide resin composition contains 5-30 vol % of carbon fiber, 1-20 vol % of polytetrafluoroethylene resin and 1-30 vol % of graphite relative to the whole volume of the polyphenylene sulfide resin composition. The main body 2 is an injection-molded body disposed by insert-molding a thermoplastic resin composition, which is different from the polyphenylene sulfide resin composition, at an outer diameter side of the sliding bearing 3.

One aspect of the disclosure relates to a sliding member. The sliding member includes: a first sliding portion having a first lubricant placed between first parts of a first friction sliding mechanism; a second sliding portion having a second lubricant placed between second parts of a second friction sliding mechanism; and a third sliding portion having a third lubricant placed between third parts of a third friction sliding mechanism. The first sliding portion is in contact with the third lubricant, and the second sliding portion is not in contact with the third lubricant. The second lubricant contains an additive containing conductive carbon, and the third lubricant contains no conductive carbon. The second lubricant contains a relatively larger amount of the conductive carbon than the first lubricant.

In order to effect a seal a porous material which comprises one side of two opposing surfaces is used to restrict and evenly distribute externally pressurized gas, liquid, steam, etc. between the two surfaces, exerting a force which is opposite the forces from pressure differences or springs trying to close the two faces together and so may create a non-contact seal that is more stable and reliable than hydrodynamic seals currently in use. A non-contact bearing is also disclosed having opposing surfaces with relative motion and one surface issuing higher than ambient pressure through a porous restriction, wherein the porous restriction is part of a monolithic porous body, or a porous layer, attached to lands containing a labyrinth, the porous restriction and lands configured to not distort more than 10% of a gap created from differential pressure between each side of the porous restriction.

A sliding surface, which is formed using metal (SUJ2, palladium etc.) or oxide ceramics (ZrO.sub.2), is made to slide, at a Hertzian contact stress of 1.0 GPa or more in an atmospheric environment containing a hydrogen gas including a minute amount of an alcohol and water, against a slid surface including a PLC film which is a coating formed by an ionization deposition method while applying a low bias voltage. Consequently, it is possible to form, on the sliding surface, a low-friction coating that stably exhibits a significantly low friction coefficient of 10.sup.−4 order (less than 0.001).

A sliding member includes a carbon transfer layer and can superiorly effectively decrease friction and reduce wear. A method produces the sliding member. The sliding member includes a substrate and a carbon transfer layer. The carbon transfer layer is disposed on the surface of the substrate and includes both sp.sup.2 bonded carbon and sp.sup.3 bonded carbon. The carbon transfer layer preferably has a ratio sp.sup.3/(sp.sup.2+sp.sup.3) of the sp.sup.3 bonded carbon to the totality of the sp.sup.2 bonded carbon and the sp.sup.3 bonded carbon of 0.1 or more.

A turbine engine strut stage extends through a gaspath upstream of a guide vane stage. A carbon seal system seals a bearing compartment and has: a carbon seal mounted to the case and a seal runner on the spool; and a seal carrier carrying the carbon seal. The engine passes buffer air along a buffer air supply path internally through one or more first struts of the stage of struts. The engine drains oil along an oil drain path internally through one or more second struts of the stage of struts.

A turbine engine strut stage extends through gaspath upstream of a guide vane stage. A carbon seal system seals a bearing compartment and has: a carbon seal mounted to the case and a seal runner on the spool; and a seal carrier carrying the carbon seal. The engine passes buffer air along a buffer air supply path internally through one or more first struts of the stage of struts. The engine drains oil along an oil drain path internally through one or more second struts of the stage of struts.

A gas turbine engine according to an exemplary aspect of this disclosure includes, among other things, a compressor section, a combustor section, a turbine section, and at least one rotatable shaft. The gas turbine engine further includes a seal assembly including a static structure and a rotatable structure configured to meet to form a contact area. The seal assembly includes an abradable coating on one of the static structure and the rotatable structure, and the seal assembly further includes a cutter on the other of the static structure and the rotatable structure.