PS-300 anti-friction coating

[magnograil]

NASA developed PS-300 as a plasma sprayed coating consisting of chrome oxide, silver and barium fluoride/calcium fluoride eutectic in NiCr binder. Has anyone ever used it or know of a company that can apply it? Last time I checked into having the rotary engine endplates coated, Flame Spray, in San Diego, suggested using a soft grade of tungsten carbide. While that may work I am also looking at alternatives. PS-300 does not require diamond grinding whereas tungsten carbide does.
Titanium nitride had poor adheasion to the aluminum.

 

[Cheesy]

Hohman plating can apply a PS304 coating, I tested this on a rotational tribometer with a nitrided stainless steel seal with a contact pressure of 5Mpa and lubrication, it is more abrasive during the running in process than some other iron based coatings but does appear to be better under starved lubrication conditions. I have also tried an arc sprayed WC which was much to abrasive to be of use (side plates in the Pivotal Engine)

 

[magnograil]

Thanks, any idea if this is a better coating than using a soft grade of tungsten carbide in terms of durabilty and wear of the side seals? The rotary has air/oil mist through the interior of the rotors for cooling/lubrication and I will be adding two-stroke oil to the fuel to aid in the tip seal lubrication.

 

[Cheesy]

Is this for a Norton engine?, although I've only tested one type of tungsten I think that the PS304 would be a much better coating but it may not be the best. If I was in the states I would be tempted to try it in a Mazda engine myself

 

[magnograil]

Yes, the NOrton NRS588 liquid cooled rotary. The center housing is fully coated with MSO2 (the aircraft part), the endplates are only coated around the edge where the tip seal runs. The side seals are running against bare aluminum hence the need for some sort of coating. These are the only endplates available unless I buy a used bike. They are out of production. If necessary I would make patterns off these and cast new ones but that gets expensive.
UEL in the UK has the rights to the Norton rotary and does not sell parts for motorcycles. I got the center case and rotors through another parts dealer that somehow "appropriated" what he called "out of tolerance" aircraft parts. I had so many problems dealing with him that I am now building it myself and redesigning parts.

 

[Cheesy]

Ive got an air cooled one out of an interpole II (well actually the whole bike) and its chewed up the out side side plates, the aluminium can be reground and then etched but the plasma sprayed coatings are much better.