Diamond-like coating protects hydrogen-fuelled car

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Jul 10, 2003

A novel coating technology promises to overcome the serious lubrication problems posed by the use of hydrogen as a fuel for car engines.

Poeton Industries is making a significant contribution to the development of the hydrogen-powered car by providing coating technology to overcome the serious lubrication problems posed by the use of the gaseous fuel.

Explains Poeton managing director Colin John: "Lubrication, or rather the lack of it, was proving to be a serious problem for a major US manufacturer of hydrogen-powered internal combustion engines, causing severe wear to valve stems".

"We were asked if we could provide a coating that would solve the problem and recommended Diamolith, a diamond-like coating (DLC) that has already proved itself in high performance automotive powertrain applications".

Diamolith adheres extremely well to materials used in automotive manufacture including tool steels, high alloy steels, aluminium alloys, titanium etc.

Examples of the vulnerable powertrain components that can be protected include pneumatic sleeves, gudgeon pins and piston rings, where Diamolith prevents micro welding.

John also quotes extreme examples such as the cam followers and front forks of the Hawk Kawasaki superbike.

Nonautomotive applications include pharmaceutical tablet punch dies, stamping dies, gears and medical components.

Diamolith, which is produced using the plasma-assisted chemical vacuum deposition (PACVD) method, is extremely effective for coating high quality components with complex and varied shapes.