Improving the Anti-seizure Ability of SiC Seal in Water with RIE Texturing

The demand for higher pressure and higher speed of sealing systems is currently increasing due to stricter standards for permissible emissions. Silicon carbide (SiC) is thought to be a promising material for sealing systems operating in water, since the combination of SiC and water is both environmentally friendly and energy saving. The purpose of this study is to improve the anti-seizure ability of SiC seals working in water by means of surface texturing. The texture pattern of micro-pits evenly distributed in a square array is formed on one of the contact surfaces by reactive ion etching (RIE). Experiments which simulate the working condition of mechanical seals were carried out to evaluate the effect of micro-pits on the critical seizure load. It is found that micro-pit texturing is an effective way to stabilize friction, to reduce the friction coefficient, and to expand the low-friction range (μ < 0.05) of SiC seals working in water.