Tungsten Disulfide Application with Sandblasting

Tungsten Disulfide is a very hard and really wear resistant chemical compound that occurs naturally and is synthesized in labs. For many years it was best known as the material wrapped around the filament in incandescent light bulbs that causes them to glow. Since the rise of LED lighting, new applications for tungsten disulfide have evolved including using it as non-friction coating that can be used in place of grease. A few industries that could possibly benefit exponentially from tungsten disulfide coating are aerospace and automotive.   

Lamellar tungsten disulfide is used as a dry lubricant for fasteners, bearings, and molds. (Wikipedia)

Tungsten Disulfide as a Non-Friction Coating

See the difference in performance between a ball screw coated with tungsten disulfide versus an uncoated ball screw in the video below.

(Video Credit: Applied Tungstenite)

If you’re still unconvinced, here’s a skateboarding visual. The bearings in the wheel on the right have been coated with Applied Tungstenite’s Tungsten Disulfide (WS2) while the bearings in the wheel on the left are stock.

(Video Credit: Applied Tungstenite)

Applying Tungsten Disulfide through Abrasive Blasting

People often hear about tungsten disulfide but aren’t sure how they can apply it. One of the most lasting ways is through abrasive blasting using this simple, four-step process:

1. Blast the part surface of the item first with .005 micron aluminum oxide. This opens the surface of the material.
2. Next, blast the tungsten DI-Sulfide (.005 micron) into the surface now opened up by the aluminum oxide.
3. Repeat steps one and two on the second part surface.
4. When you place two surfaces together you don’t need any lubricant and you get no wear.

It takes a special blasting machine to prepare the surface and apply the Disulfide and be able to recover and use again. We manufacturer one of the only continually expanding negative pressure high efficiency separator reclaimers capable of doing this difficult task using 5 micron particles sizes.