PISTON RING AND INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE

Abstract

A piston ring may include a stainless steel base having between 8% and 15% by weight of chromium, together with other elements and impurities, and having a hardness between 350 HV and 420 HV. The piston ring may also include a superficial nitrided layer having a depth of no more than 60 μm and an average hardness measured upon the surface exceeding 800 HV. The nitrided layer may include a plurality of nitride particles, which may have a maximum size of 5 μm and may be distributed over between 4% and 8% of an area of the nitrided layer.

Claims

1. A piston ring comprising: a stainless steel base including between 8% and 15% by weight of chromium, together with other elements and impurities, and having a hardness between 350 HV and 420 HV, and a superficial nitrided layer having a depth of no more than 60 μm and an average hardness measured upon the surface exceeding 800 HV, wherein the nitrided layer includes a plurality of nitride particles having a maximum size of 5 μm distributed over between 4% and 8% of an area of the nitrided layer.

2. The piston ring as claimed in claim 1, wherein a white layer is absent in the nitrided layer.

3. The piston ring as claimed in claim 1, wherein the piston ring is a compression ring of a piston of an internal combustion engine.

4. The piston ring as claimed in claim 1, wherein the other elements include from 0.4% to 0.9% by weight of C, from 0.1% to 1% by weight of Si, from 0.1% to 1% by weight of Mn, up to 0.04% by weight of P, and up to 0.04% by weight of S, the balance of the stainless steel base including Fe and the impurities.

5. The piston ring as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a coating of chromium disposed on a surface thereof.

6. The piston ring as claimed in claim 5, wherein the chromium coating is disposed on a surface of the piston ring that contacts a cylinder liner.

7. The piston ring as claimed in claim 5, wherein the chromium coating is applied by ion deposition.

8. The piston ring as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stainless steel base is a martensitic stainless steel.

9. An internal combustion engine comprising: at least one cylinder, at least one piston mounted within an interior of the at least one cylinder, and at least one piston ring having: a stainless steel base including between 8% and 15% by weight of chromium, together with other elements and impurities, and having a hardness between 350 HV and 420 HV, and a superficial nitrided layer having a depth of no more than 60 μm and an average hardness measured upon the surface exceeding 800 HV, the nitrided layer including a plurality of nitride particles having a maximum size of 5 μm distributed over between 4% and 8% of an area of the nitrided layer.

10. The piston ring as claimed in claim 6, wherein the chromium coating is applied by ion deposition.

11. The piston ring as claimed in claim 2, wherein the piston ring is a compression ring of a piston of an internal combustion engine.

12. The piston ring as claimed in claim 2, wherein the other elements include from 0.4% to 0.9% by weight of C, from 0.1% to 1% by weight of Si, from 0.1% to 1% by weight of Mn, up to 0.04% by weight of P, and up to 0.04% by weight of S.

13. The piston ring as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a coating of chromium disposed on a surface thereof.

14. The piston ring as claimed in claim 13, wherein the chromium coating is disposed on a surface of the piston ring that contacts a cylinder liner.

15. The piston ring as claimed in claim 13, wherein the chromium coating is applied by ion deposition.

16. The piston ring as claimed in claim 14, wherein the chromium coating is applied by ion deposition.

17. The piston ring as claimed in claim 2, wherein the stainless steel base is composed of a martensitic stainless steel.

18. An internal combustion engine as claimed in claim 9, wherein the at least one piston ring includes a chromium coating disposed on a surface of the at least one piston ring that contacts a cylinder liner of the at least one cylinder.

19. A compression ring of a piston of an internal combustion engine, comprising: a stainless steel base having between 8% and 15% chromium by weight, and a hardness between 350 HV and 420 HV; a chromium coating disposed on a surface of the piston ring; and a superficial nitrided layer having a maximum depth of 60 μm and an average surface hardness exceeding 800 HV; wherein the nitrided layer includes a plurality of nitride particles distributed over between 4% and 8% of an area of the nitrided layer, the nitride particles having a maximum size of 5 μm; and wherein a white layer is absent in the nitrided layer.

20. The compression ring as claimed in claim 19, wherein the chromium coating is applied by ion deposition onto a surface of the ring that contacts a cylinder liner of a piston

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary piston ring according to one embodiment.

[0025] FIG. 2 illustrates an internal combustion engine according to one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The invention shall now be described in relation to the particular embodiments thereof. Specific embodiments are described in detail, it being understood that they shall be considered as an exemplification of the principles thereof and not destined to restrict the invention to solely that described in the present memorandum. It shall be recognized that the different teachings of the embodiments discussed below may be employed separately or in any combination appropriate for producing the same technical effects.

[0027] As aforementioned, demands are being increasingly placed on internal combustion engines in terms of mechanical stresses and, consequently, the components thereof are being subjected to greater operational stresses. The piston ring is an essential component to ensure the appropriate functioning of the engine, both in terms of performance and in terms of fuel consumption and control of emission of gases.

[0028] The piston rings known in general are realized in a material presenting characteristics of high wear resistance and, consequently, generally utilize a martensitic stainless steel having a high chromium content, typically exceeding 17% by weight of chromium, and may also receive a nitriding treatment to increase the superficial hardness and the wear and corrosion resistance.

[0029] However, it has been shown that a piston ring realized in material having high hardness characteristics, such as the rings found in the state of the art, may likewise have a tendency to rupture by virtue of the propagation of microfissures which may form during the operation of the internal combustion engine. This occurs as a result of the greater presence of hard phases (carbides) following the nitriding and, in this manner, the greater disposition to crack propagation subsequent to these being initiated in the interface between the hard phases and the matrix.

[0030] The invention has the objective on the one hand of providing a piston ring 10 having the same hardness characteristics and, consequently, high wear resistance, nevertheless promoting a greater tenacity in the ring such as to improve the qualities thereof of fatigue strength, both static and dynamic, in order to minimize or even eliminate problems related with the rupture of the ring.

[0031] In this sense, the invention concerns a ring 10 of an internal combustion engine 20 mounted upon the piston 24 of the engine 20 and in contact with the cylinder 22 wall or liner. The ring is realized, in a particular manner, in a stainless steel 12 comprising between 8 and 15% by weight of chromium, in addition to other elements and inevitable impurities, the balance being formed by iron. Typically, a stainless steel having these characteristics in the composition thereof comprises an average hardness lying between 350 and 420 HV.

[0032] Chromium, as is known by those versed in the art, is an element fundamental for promoting, in addition to an increase in hardness, corrosion resistance, and is also found dissolved in the iron matrix in the form of chromium carbide.

[0033] The ring 10 additionally comprises a peripheral nitrided layer 14 promoting an increase in the superficial hardness, typically an average hardness measured upon the surface exceeding 800 HV. The processes of nitriding are well known by those versed in the art and, basically, consist in placing the metal component, generally steel, including stainless steel, in a nitrogen rich environment at a temperature below the austenitisation temperature of the material, and may be realized both by a gaseous and a plasma process. The nitrogen diffused within the material creates a layer increasing the superficial hardness thereof. As a result, the nitriding generally creates two layers in the metal material. A first superficial layer, also called a white layer or compound layer, having a predominance of ε-nitrides (with Fe.sub.2-3N nitrides containing N in a quantity exceeding 8% by weight) over γ′-phase nitrides (with F.sub.4N nitrides containing N between 5.9 and 6.5% by weight), and a second diffusion layer.

[0034] During the nitriding treatment the nitrogen diffuses from the surface of the part and, by virtue of the fact that the affinity of the nitrogen for the chromium is greater than for the carbon, a reaction occurs between the nitrogen and the chromium carbides forming chromium nitrides, in addition to residual carbon nitrides and chromium carbides. It has been shown that when the percentage of chromium exceeds 15% by weight, the tenacity of the material is prejudiced by virtue of the presence of large particles, that is to say having an average size exceeding 5 μm, and this characteristic may occasion small fissures which may propagate and generate ruptures in the ring. Furthermore, it has been found that when the chromium content lies between 8 and 15% by weight it is possible to obtain hard particles in the nitrided layer 14 having an average particle size not exceeding 5 μm and which, preferably, should be dispersed over between 4 and 8% of the area of the nitrided layer 14. This characteristic permits the material to present good tenacity, significantly improving the fatigue strength, both static and dynamic, without prejudicing the hardness found on the surface of the ring 10, ensuring a good wear resistance.

[0035] An example of a suitable composition of a stainless steel 12 for the ring 10 of the invention comprises from 8 to 15% by weight of Cr, from 0.4 to 0.9% by weight of C, from 0.1 to 1% by weight of Si, from 0.1 to 1% by weight of Mn, up to 0.04% by weight of P, and up to 0.04% by weight of S, the balance being formed by Fe and inevitable impurities. Nevertheless other compatible compositions may also be utilized.

[0036] Also, in a particular manner, the nitrided layer 14 possesses a penetration of less than or equal to 60 μm, having the objective of maintaining the good tenacity of the ring 10 and, furthermore, the relatively small penetration of the nitrided layer 14 likewise permits a lesser propagation of cracks, generally forming in the interface between the hard phase and the steel. Additionally, the nitrided layer 14 does not possess the white layer, that is to say it presents an absence of the white layer. The absence of the white layer may be realized through known means, such as applying a grinding process upon the surface of the ring, or by controlling the parameters of the nitriding treatment. Such means of promoting an absence of the white layer are known by those versed in the art, for which reason greater explanations are dispensed with in the present descriptive memorandum.

[0037] The ring 10 of the invention may additionally comprise a layer 16 of CrN applied by an ion deposition process. The implantation of ions is a process already known by means whereof ions of a material are accelerated in a magnetic field and irradiated upon the metal material. By virtue of the fact that the ions possess a mass and composition differing from the material whereupon they are irradiated, the impact leads to their having a limited penetration and are affixed within the material, creating free ions present in the composition of the material. In a particular manner, the contact surface with the wall receives the additional layer 16 of chromium. The additional layer 16 of CrN may be advantageous both to improve the resistance to wear of the surface of the ring 10 in contact with the cylinder 22 wall or liner and to improve the corrosion resistance, particularly permitting a greater resistance to intergranular corrosion.

[0038] In spite of the invention having been described in relation to the particular embodiments thereof, those versed in the art will be able to realize alterations or combinations not contemplated above without, nevertheless, deviating from the teachings herein described, in addition to extension to other applications not considered in the present descriptive memorandum. For example, in spite of the embodiment herein described making reference to a scraper ring of an internal combustion engine, it is obvious that the process of the invention may be applied to other parts, the improved superficial hardness characteristic whereof may be desirable, such as the compression ring. Consequently, the appended claims shall be interpreted as covering each and every equivalent falling within the principles of the invention.