摘要 |
A pair of seal members of hard material such as a pair of small plates which control the fluid flow through a faucet. The first seal member is made of silicon carbide, preferably formed by a process of siliconizing a carbonaceous semi-finished form. The second seal member is made from a material which is at least moderately hard, capable of receiving a precise finish, and is covered by a thin layer of harder material - silicon carbide or another carbide, a nitride, or carbon with a cubic crystallographic lattice structure - applied by physical or chemical deposition by vapor. This configuration results in a low friction coefficient even in the absence of lubrication, prevents excessive adhesion among the parts with highly polished surfaces, it assures smooth operation over long periods of time even if the seal members are subjected to high temperatures, and an excessive amount of friction is prevented upon initial separation. |