Stealth Coat (Tungsten Disulfide WS2)

High performance lubricant

Stealth Coat (WS2) and the ability to apply it were developed by NASA in the 1960’s for the Mariner deep space program. The extreme environment and vacuum of space meant that conventual lubricants could not be used.  Stealth Coat’s exceptional lubricity and ability to work in harsh environments made it the only choice for NASA. It has half the coefficient of friction of Teflon and increases the performance of mineral & synthetic lubricants. NASA found they could impinge Stealth Coat on to any solid material. This includes, but is not limited to, metals, plastics and composites.

Today Stealth Coat is used world-wide to improve the reliability and service life of products and is often used in the manufacturing of them. Many products would not exist without the use of Stealth Coat.

Our plastic manufacturing customers see significant increases in production and quality from Stealth Coat. This is because its low coefficient friction, increases laminar flow and improves mould release. Injection moulding customers have seen cycle times reduced between 3 & 12 seconds.

Our engineering, aerospace and automotive customers see significant increases in production and performance and witness reductions in break downs, maintenance costs fretting, galling, wear, temperature, noise, seizing.  

Super Finishing Ltd is the sole licensee of Micro Surface Corporation for Stealth Coat (WS2) in New Zealand and Australia.

Stealth Coat has been successfully used on:

  • Dies, moulds and ejector pins

  • Augers and barrels

  • Ball and roller bearings

  • Machine tools, pins, taps

  • Engine and drive train parts

  • Air motors, vibrators & torque multipliers

  • Electrical connectors

  • Circuit breakers and switches

  • Chucks, collets and tools

  • Electric motors

  • Compressors and blowers

  • Die casting moulds

  • Investment moulding moulds

  • Slide mechanisms

  • Timer mechanisms

  • Control valves

  • Rubber gaskets, “O” ring seals

  • Magnetic heads

  • Seamers and roll formers

  • Satellite and aircraft parts

  • High vacuum applications

  • Cryogenic pumps and valves

  • Vacuum pumps

  • Ball screws

  • Chains

  • Firearms and ammunition

  • Gears and shafts.

Benefits & capabilities of stealth coat

Engineering

  • Solves problems such as friction, excessive wear, seizing, galling and fretting

  • Fastenings have a higher tension and less friction for the same torque value

  • Overcomes or reduces mechanical lubrication problems, improving performance and extending service life

  • Improves all bearings capacity to withstand temperatures, high speed, high loads and vacuum

  • Reduces maintenance costs. Eliminates or reduces breakdowns and downtime

  • Reduced emissions and fuel or energy required for a given power level

  • Maintains the dimensional integrity of the substrate to within 0.5 micron with no build-up

  • Can be applied to all metals, plastics and composites

  • Withstands loads to 100,000 psi (or load capacity of the substrate)

  • Operating temperature range of -273 to 650* Celsius.

  • Offers 100% lubricity throughout its texture

  • Is inert, inorganic, non-toxic, non-distortive, non-corrosive

  • Resistant to most fuels and solvents

  • Is compatible with and enhances the performance of all oils, greases and mould releases

  • Extends dry run times and damage, when lubricants over temperature or run low

  • Resists carbon build-up

  • An extremely low co-efficient of friction, less than half that of graphite, Moly (MoS₂) and Teflon

  • Molecularly bonds to all solid materials and plating, and can only be eliminated by removing the bonded substrate.

  • Maintains dimensional integrity of tooling to within 0.5 micron with no build-up

Tungsten Disulfide (WS2) Coated Stainless Steel Bolt Tension & Coefficient of Friction

Plastic manufacturing

  • Increased laminar flow 3 to 9%

  • Reduced cycles times 5 to 30%

  • Reduction in material used from reduced pressure required

  • Reducted in tool wear and breakages

  • Extended injector pin life

  • Easier release from under-cut and textured surfaces

  • Operating temperatures can be reduced

  • Resists the build-up of resins, carbon, burnt deposits

  • Reduction of rejects, partial fills, streaking, drag marks, core sticking

  • Reduction in ejector pin/air pressure

  • FDA approved for food and drug applications

  • Does not transfer to manufactured parts

  • An inert, inorganic, non-toxic, non-distortive, non- corrosive dry lubrication

  • Eliminates or reduces the use of mould releases

  • Compatible with and enhances the performance of all lubricants and release agents

  • Bonding to all metals, plastics, composites and platings. Can’t be removed without eliminating the bonded substrate

Inches of Spiral Flow Increase after Tungsten Disulfide (WS2) Coating

 FAQs

  • Static = 0:070 Dynamic = 0:030 (WS2 on WS2)

  • The Stealth Coat is thermally stable between -273°C to 650°C

  • It will work between -188° to 1316° Celsius at 10-15 Torr.

  • Stealth Coat, Tungsten Disulfide, WS2 has been approved by the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the manufacture of food and drugs. This specifies that only the iridium = blue grey particle can be used. We use this material exclusively.

  • AMS2530A is the aerospace material, cleaning, testing and application specification for Stealth Coat, Tungsten Disulfide, WS2. This specifies that only the iridium = blue grey particle can be used. This is the standard we use.

  • Sharp objects can remove the coating. Dusty environments can decrease the life of the coating. Stealth Coat will not flake or peel off.

  • Stealth Coat is electrically conductive but at milliamps there is low resistance.

  • Stealth Coat can be applied on all solid materials, such as composites, carbon fibre, rubber. We also coat ceramic balls and the polyimide plastic retainers used in bearing.

  • Yes, Stealth Coat increases the performance of all low friction & hard wear platings.

  • Stealth Coat is non-stick, so it retains its uniform thickness. The coating thickness is determined by the particle size = 0:5 micron.

  • Surface roughness doesn’t affect good adhesion. A clean and non-oxidized surface is important. Finishes as fine as 1 Ra achieve excellent coating adhesion.

  • Colour and performance aren’t affected by laser marking.

  • When Stealth Coat is applied to head tooling, gears, bearings, bushing and related components to reduce noise level and energy consumption.

  • The majority of parts have Stealth Coat impinge at 1200kph, with chilled, purified, dry, high pressure air. With some high polished or low Ra parts it is burnished into the surface. The protocols developed by NASA for cleaning and conditioning surfaces are extensive. Any impurities on the surface and Stealth Coat will not adhere.

  • Testing is done before any product can be run. The test and inspection are done in accordance with NASA standards

  • Yes, specific areas can be coated with fixturing, masking and plugs. This is an additional cost to normal coating.

  • Stealth Coat is completely compatible with all greases and oils. At steel mills and aluminium plants, it’s used to improve the performances high-temperature greases and oils.

  • Coating on individual components achieves the best results, but coating on fully assembled items can be achieved in some cases. Some examples are bearings and cam chains.

  • Stealth Coat is not a corrosion-inhibiting coating.

  • Increasing the coating thickness does not increase the life or functionality of the coating.

  • Acids or high alkalines can remove the coating. In a non-abrasive environment it is permanent. Stealth Coat doesn’t peel or crack. It lasts 12-14 months on an injection mould running non-abrasive resins 24/7.

  • Stealth Coat will maintain a mirror finish to produce clear parts.

Have more questions? Please reach out, we’d be happy to chat with you. Or continue reading about Stealth Coat in the following resources.

Articles & Resources

NASA Publication - A Spinoff from Mariner
(MSDS) for Tungsten Disulfide (WS2)

Websites

Micro Surface Corporations
WS2 Coatings

  • BMW Diff

  • MV Augusta parts

  • MV Augusta Parts

  • Ball Valve

  • Crank Bearings

  • Mechanical Seals

  • Plastic Tooling

  • Aston Martin Super Charger

  • Datsun Crankshaft

  • Evo 10 Diff

  • Hollinger Gearbox

  • Jaguar Crankshaft

  • Porche 996 Gearbox

  • Yamaha TZ750 Gear Set