Faucet

BACKGROUND

0001This invention relates generally to multi-layer surface coatings for use with articles of manufacture and products requiring low friction, low wear, and protective exterior surfaces. More particularly, the invention is related to articles having mutually sliding components, such as valve components for water mixing valves, having surface protective layers comprising a strengthening layer and an outer amorphous diamond coating.

0002In certain applications, such as for example, valve plates for fluid control valves, there is a need for mutually sliding surfaces to be wear resistant, abrasion resistant, scratch resistant, and to have a low coefficient of friction. The elements of one type of control valve for mixing of hot and cold water streams typically comprise a stationary disk and a moveable sliding disk, although the plate elements may be of any shape or geometry having a sealing surface, including e.g. flat, spherical, and cylindrical surfaces. The term "disk" herein therefore refers to valve plates of any shape and geometry having mating surfaces which engage and slide against each other to form a fluid-tight seal. The stationary disk typically has a hot water inlet, a cold water inlet, and a mixed water discharge outlet, while the moveable disk contains similar features and a mixing chamber. It is to be understood that the mixing chamber need not be in the disk but could part of an adjacent structure. The moveable disk overlaps the stationary disk and may be slid and/or rotated on the stationary disk so that mixed water at a desired temperature and flow rate is obtained in the mixing chamber by regulating the flow rate and proportions of hot water and cold water admitted from the hot water inlet and the cold water inlet and discharged through the mixed water discharge outlet. The disks mating sealing surfaces should be fabricated with sufficient precision to allow the two sealing surfaces to mate together and form a fluid tight seal (i.e. they must be co-conformal and smooth enough to prevent fluid from passing between the sealing surfaces). The degree of flatness (for a flat plate shape), or co-conformity (for non-flat surfaces) and smoothness required depend somewhat on the valve construction and fluids involved, and are generally well known in the industry. Other types of disk valves, while still using mating sealing surfaces in sliding contact with each other, may control only one fluid stream or may provide mixing by means of a different structure or port configuration. The stationary disk may for example be an integral part of the valve body.

0003Previous experience with this type of control valve has demonstrated there is a problem of wear of the mating surfaces of the disks due to the fact that the stationary and moveable disks are in contact and slide against each other (see for example <patcit id="pcit0001" dnum="US4935313A"><text>U.S. Patent Nos. 4,935,313</text></patcit> and <patcit id="pcit0002" dnum="US4966789A"><text>4,966,789</text></patcit>). In order to minimize the wear problem, these valve disks are usually made of a sintered ceramic such as alumina (aluminum oxide). While alumina disks have good wear resistance, they have undesirable frictional characteristics in that operating force increases, and they tend to become "sticky" after the lubricant grease originally applied to the disks wears and washes away. The scratch and abrasion resistance of alumina plates to large and small particles (respectively) in the water stream is good; however, they are still susceptible to damage from contaminated water streams containing abrasive particles such as sand; and improvement in this regard would be beneficial. Additionally, the porous nature of the sintered ceramic disks makes them prone to "lockup" during long periods of non-use, due to minerals dissolved in the water supply that precipitate and crystallize between coincident pores in the mating surfaces. One objective of the present invention is to provide disks having reduced wear, improved scratch and abrasion resistance and reduced frictional characteristics. Another objective is to provide nonporous or reduced-porosity valve disks to reduce the number of locations where precipitated crystals may form between the mating surfaces.

0004It would be advantageous to use a material for the disks, such as metal, which is less expensive, easier to grind and polish and which is not porous. However, the wear resistance and frictional behavior of bare metallic disks is generally not acceptable for sliding seal applications. A further objective of the present invention is to provide disks made of metal a base material and having improved wear, scratch, and abrasion resistance and improved frictional characteristics as compared to uncoated ceramic disks.

0005It is disclosed in the prior art (e.g. <patcit id="pcit0003" dnum="US4707384A"><text>U.S. Patent Nos. 4,707,384</text></patcit> and <patcit id="pcit0004" dnum="US4734339A"><text>4,734,339</text></patcit> ) that polycrystalline diamond coatings deposited by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) at substrate temperatures around 800-1000 C can be used in combination with adhesion layers of various materials in order to provide scratch and wear resistant components. Polycrystalline diamond films, however, are known to have rough surfaces due to the crystal facets of the individual diamond grains, as is apparent in the photographs of <figref idref="f0001">Figures 2</figref> and <figref idref="f0002">3</figref> in the '384 patent. It is known in the art to polish such surfaces in order to minimize the coefficient of friction in sliding applications, or even to deposit the polycrystalline diamond on a smooth substrate and then remove the film from the substrate and use the smooth side of the film (which was previously against the substrate) rather than the original surface as the bearing surface. The present invention overcomes prior art problems by providing a number of advantageous features, including without limitation providing a smooth and very hard surface for sliding applications, while avoiding difficult and expensive post-processing of a polycrystalline diamond surface layer. The methodology also advantageously employs substrate materials (such as, suitable metals, glasses, and composite and organic materials) that cannot be processed at the elevated temperatures necessary for CVD deposition of polycrystalline diamond.

0006It is also disclosed in the prior art (e.g. <patcit id="pcit0005" dnum="US6165616A"><text>U.S. Patent No. 6,165,616</text></patcit> ) that engineered interface layers may be employed to relieve thermally-induced stress in a polycrystalline diamond layer. These thermally induced stresses arise during cooling of the substrate after coating deposition at relatively high temperatures, and are due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the substrate and the diamond coating. Rather complicated engineering calculations are specified in '616 to predetermine the desired interface layer composition and thickness. The interface layer thickness' disclosed in '616 to minimize the thermally-induced stress in the diamond layer are of the order 20 to 25 microns according to <figref idref="f0001 f0002">FIGS. 1 through 3</figref>. Such thick interface layers are expensive to deposit, due to the time necessary to deposit them and the high cost of the equipment required. The present invention also advantageously includes, without limitation, minimizing the coating cost but still achieving desired results by employing much thinner interface layers than those taught by '616, and to avoid creating the thermally-induced stresses which necessitate such complicated engineering calculations by depositing a hard surface layer at a relatively low temperature compared to the prior art, such as the '616 patent.

0007It is further disclosed in the prior art (e.g. <patcit id="pcit0006" dnum="US4935313A"><text>U.S. Patent Nos. 4,935,313</text></patcit> and <patcit id="pcit0007" dnum="US4966789A"><text>4,966,789</text></patcit>, ) that cubic crystallographic lattice carbon (polycrystalline diamond) and other hard materials may be used as surface coatings on valve disks, and that pairs of mutually sliding valves discs which differ from each other in either surface composition or surface finish are preferable to those which are the same in these characteristics, with respect to minimizing friction between the plates. The present invention provides mating valve disk surfaces having a lower friction coefficient than the disclosed materials in water-lubricated or fluid wetted surface applications such as water valves, and to allow identical processing of both mating surfaces in order to avoid the need to purchase and operate different types of processing equipment. The present invention further provides, without limitation, mating valve disk surfaces having a lower friction coefficient than the disclosed materials in water-lubricated or fluid wetted surface applications such as water valves. Furthermore, both mated sliding surfaces of the disks can be hard and have an abrasion resistance to contaminated water streams and to allow identical processing of both mating surfaces in order to avoid the need to purchase and operate different types of processing equipment.

0008Further relevant prior art is disclosed in <patcit id="pcit0008" dnum="US20070278444A"><text>US-A-2007/0278444</text></patcit>.

SUMMARY

0009An exemplary embodiment relates to a valve plate comprising a base material and a strengthening layer provided above the base material, the strengthening layer comprising a carbide, nitride or carbo-nitride of niobium. An amorphous diamond material is provided above the strengthening layer. The amorphous diamond material has a coefficient of friction that is lower than that of diamond-like carbon and has a hardness that is greater than that of diamond-like carbon.

0010Another exemplary embodiment relates to a faucet that includes a fluid control valve comprising a plurality of valve components. At least one of the valve components includes a substrate, a strengthening layer provided above the base material, the strengthening layer comprising a carbide, nitride or carbo-nitride of niobium, and an amorphous diamond material provided above the strengthening layer. The amorphous diamond material having a coefficient of friction that is lower than that of diamond-like carbon, a hardness that is greater than that of diamond-like carbon, and sp bonding of at least about 40%.

0011A faucet includes a first valve component and a second valve component configured for sliding engagement with the first valve component. At least one of first valve component and the second valve component comprises a substrate, a strengthening layer provided above the substrate, the strengthening layer comprising a carbide, nitride or carbo-nitride of niobium, and a layer of amorphous diamond material provided above the strengthening layer. The amorphous diamond material has a coefficient of friction that is lower than that of diamond-like carbon and a hardness that is greater than that of diamond-like carbon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

0012<figref idref="f0001">FIG. 1</figref> is one form of valve incorporating a multi-layer structure with an amorphous diamond layer overlying a substrate;

0013<figref idref="f0001">FIG. 2</figref> is a detail of one form of multi-layer structure of the invention;

0014<figref idref="f0002">FIG. 3</figref> illustrates yet another multi-layer structure with an added additional adhesion-promoting layer;

0015<figref idref="f0002">FIG. 4</figref> is a further form of multi-layer structure of <figref idref="f0001">FIG. 2</figref> wherein a strengthening layer includes two layers of different materials; and

0016<figref idref="f0002">FIG. 5</figref> is a photomicrograph of the surface appearance of an exterior amorphous diamond layer over an underlying substrate or layer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

0017Embodiments of the invention are illustrated generally in the figures, where <figref idref="f0001">FIG. 1</figref> shows one form of the valve 10 with handle 12 incorporating the invention. In particular, <figref idref="f0001 f0002">FIGS. 2-4</figref> illustrate a portion of a valve 10 having a substrate 18 for a sliding component 20 and/or a fixed component 22 of the valve 10 which can comprise a base material wherein the base material can be the same or different in the sliding component 20 and the fixed component 22. In other embodiments, one of the components 20, 22 can be fixed. Preferably the base material is a sintered ceramic or a metal. Base materials can also comprise glasses or glassy materials, cermets, polymeric materials, composite materials, intermetallic compounds such as iron aluminide, and other materials mechanically suitable for the application. The metals can include, for example, any conventional metal, including without limitation, stainless steel, brass, zirconium, titanium, aluminum, and alloys of the latter three materials. Stainless steel, titanium, and zirconium, and aluminum are the most preferred metals, with the term stainless steel referring to any type such as 304, 316, etc., and customized variations thereof and with the terms titanium, zirconium, and aluminum understood to include alloys comprised mostly of those metals. Sintered (powdered) stainless steel is a preferred substrate material because it can be economically molded into complex shapes suitable for disks and can be economically ground and polished to achieve a mating smooth sealing surface. In the case of sintered stainless steel, "fully dense" substrates and metal injection molded substrates are preferred. Titanium and zirconium are preferred base materials because they can be easily oxidized or anodized to form a hard surface layer. Ceramics can be any conventional ceramic material, including without limitation, for example, sintered alumina (aluminum oxide) and silicon carbide, with alumina being a preferred material. Composite materials can include, for example, any conventional cermets, fiber reinforced epoxies and polyamides, and carbon-carbon composites. Glass and glassy materials can include for example borosilicate glass such as Pyrex™, and materials such as toughened laminated glass and glass-ceramics. Glass, glassy materials and cermets are preferred substrates because they can be economically molded into complex shapes suitable for disks and can be economically ground and polished to a flat and smooth surface. Iron aluminide is understood to be a material consisting mainly of that iron and aluminum but may also contain small amounts of such other elements as molybdenum, zirconium, and boron.

0018As shown in <figref idref="f0001">FIG. 2</figref>, a strengthening layer 23 can also be placed directly on the substrate surface 18. This layer 23 can comprise a material having higher hardness than the substrate 18 (although it should be understood that according to other exemplary embodiments, the strengthening layer may not have a hardness that is higher than the substrate). Suitable materials for the strengthening layer 23 include compounds of Nb . The compounds include nitrides, carbides or carbo-nitrides.

0019According to the invention, the strengthening layer comprises a niobium-containing material such a niobium carbide, niobium nitride, or a niobium carbo-nitride.

0020The strengthening layer 23 functions primarily to improve scratch and abrasion resistance of the multilayer coating. The hardness of the strengthening layer 23 should be at least greater than that of the substrate 18 in order to perform its intended function of improving the scratch resistance of the coated disk. The thickness of the strengthening layer 23 is at least a thickness sufficient to improve the scratch resistance of the substrate 18. For materials typically used as hard coatings, such as those disclosed above, this thickness is generally from around 500 run to around 10 microns, and preferably from about 2000 nm to around 5000 nm. In testing of faucet water valves it has been found that a chromium nitride strengthening layer having a thickness of about 5 microns provides adequate scratch and abrasion resistance (in conjunction with a thin amorphous diamond top layer) for types and sizes of contaminants considered to be typical in municipal and well water sources.

0021In some embodiments of the present invention as shown in <figref idref="f0002">FIG. 3</figref> and for component 22 of <figref idref="f0002">FIG. 4</figref>, a thin adhesion-promoting layer 21 can be deposited on the substrate 18 and then the strengthening layer 23 on the layer 21. This layer 21 functions to improve the adhesion of the overlying strengthening layer 23 to the substrate 18. Suitable materials for the adhesion-promoting layer 21 include materials comprising chromium, titanium, tungsten, tantalum, niobium, other refractory metals, silicon, and other materials known in the art to be suitable as adhesion-promoting layers. The layer 21 can conveniently be made using the same elemental material chosen for the strengthening layer 23. The layer 21 has a thickness that is at least adequate to promote or improve the adhesion of layer 23 to the substrate 18. This thickness is generally from about 5 nm to about 200 nm, and most preferably from about 30 nm to about 60 nm. The adhesion-promoting layer 21 can be deposited by conventional vapor deposition techniques, including preferably physical vapor deposition (PVD) and also can be done by chemical vapor deposition (CVD).

0022PVD processes are well known and conventional and include cathodic arc evaporation (CAE), sputtering, and other conventional deposition processes. CVD processes can include low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD), plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), and thermal decomposition methods. PVD and CVD techniques and equipment are disclosed, inter alia, in <nplcit id="ncit0001" npl-type="b"><text>J. Vossen and W. Kern "Thin Film Processes II", Academic Press, 1991</text></nplcit>; <nplcit id="ncit0002" npl-type="b"><text>R. Boxman et al, "Handbook of Vacuum Arc Science and Technology", Noyes, 1995</text></nplcit>; and <patcit id="pcit0009" dnum="US4162954A"><text>U.S. Patent Nos. 4,162,954</text></patcit> and <patcit id="pcit0010" dnum="US4591418A"><text>4,591,418</text></patcit>.

0023In the case of sintered ceramic materials, although the individual granules forming the sintered material may have high hardness, the scratch resistance of the overall sintered structure as measured by scratch testing is much lower than that of the material forming the granules (e.g. alumina). This is due to the fact that the materials typically used to sinter or bond the alumina granules together, typically silicates, are not as hard as the granules themselves. The hardness of the strengthening layer 23 can be similar to or even less than the hardness of the individual granules comprising the ceramic disk, and still being harder than the overall sintered ceramic structure. It has been found by experiment, for example, that the depth of the scratch caused by a stylus (radius = 100 microns) sliding under a load of 30 Newtons is approximately 4-6 microns on an uncoated sintered alumina substrate, while the scratch depth on an identical substrate coated with a 3 micron thick chromium nitride strengthening layer is only 2-3 microns.

0024The strengthening layer 23 can be formed by conventional vapor deposition techniques including, but not limited to sputtering, cathodic arc evaporation (CAE), and CVD. The most preferred methods are sputtering, CAE, or other means which may be carried out at a relatively low temperature, thereby minimizing thermally-induced stresses in the coating stack upon cooling. If the strengthening layer 23 is deposited by CAE, it is also desirable to use macroparticle filtering in order to control and to preserve the smoothness of the surface of the substrate 18. The strengthening layer 23 can also be formed by other well-known methods for forming hard coatings such as spray pyrolysis, sol-gel techniques, liquid-dipping with subsequent thermal treatment, nano-fabrication methods, atomic-layer deposition methods, and molecular-layer deposition methods.

0025The strengthening layer 23 can alternatively be formed by a process that produces a hardened surface layer on the substrate base material. Such processes include, for example, thermal oxidation, plasma nitriding, ion implantation, chemical and electrochemical surface treatments such as chemical conversion coatings, anodizing including hard anodizing and conventional post-treatments, micro-arc oxidation and case hardening. The strengthening layer 23 can also include multiple layers 24 and 25 as shown in <figref idref="f0002">Figure 4</figref>, in which the layers 24 and 25 together form the strengthening layer 23. For example, the layer 24 can be an oxide thermally grown on the substrate base material while the layer 25 is a deposited material such as CrN. The strengthening layer 23 can also include more than two layers, and can preferably comprise for example a superlattice type of coating with a large number of very thin alternating layers. Such a multilayer or superlattice form of the strengthening layer 23 can also include one or multiple layers of amorphous diamond.

0026In the multi-layer structure of <figref idref="f0001 f0002">FIGS. 1-4</figref> the amorphous diamond layer 30 is deposited over the strengthening layer 23 to form an exterior surface layer. The purpose of the amorphous diamond layer 30 is to provide a very hard wear abrasion resistant and lubricous top surface on the sliding components. Amorphous diamond is a form of noncrystalline carbon that is well known in the art, and is also sometimes referred to as tetrahedrally-bonded amorphous carbon (taC). It can be characterized as having at least 40 percent sp³ carbon bonding, a hardness of at least 45 gigaPascals and an elastic modulus of at least 400 gigaPascals. Amorphous diamond materials are described in <patcit id="pcit0011" dnum="US5799549A"><text>U.S. Patent Nos. 5,799,549</text></patcit> and <patcit id="pcit0012" dnum="US5992268A"><text>5,992,268</text></patcit>. The amorphous diamond material layer 30 can be applied processes including, for example, conventional filtered cathodic arc evaporation and laser ablation. The term amorphous diamond as used herein includes all forms of taC type carbon and may also contain doping or alloying elements such as nitrogen and metals, and also includes nano-structured materials containing amorphous diamond. Nano-structured materials mean herein materials having structural features on the scale of nanometers or tens of nanometers, including but not limited to superlattices.

0027The thickness of the amorphous diamond layer 30 is at least a value effective to provide improved wear and abrasion resistance of the sliding component. This thickness is generally at least about 100 nm, preferably at least about 200 nm and more preferably at least about 300 nm. The upper thickness range of the layer 30 is determined by material characteristics, economic considerations and the need to minimize thickness-dependent intrinsic stresses in the layer 30 as discussed below. Also amorphous diamond layer 30 advantageously exhibits an extremely smooth surface topology as can be seen by reference to the photo of <figref idref="f0002">FIG. 5</figref>, principally because there are no individual diamond grains in an amorphous coating. In addition, the surface topography of the thin amorphous diamond layer 30 essentially replicates that of the subsurface upon which it is deposited, and therefore the amorphous diamond layer 30 has substantially the same average surface roughness as that of the subsurface. Graphitic inclusions, visible as light spots in <figref idref="f0002">FIG. 5</figref>, do not contribute to the surface roughness, as the term is used herein, because they are very soft and are reduced to a lubricative powder when the sliding surfaces are brought into contact. Amorphous diamond has the further advantage that it can be deposited at much lower temperatures (generally below approximately 250 C) than polycrystalline diamond, thus eliminating the need for the thick, engineered interface layers disclosed in the prior art (see, e.g. <patcit id="pcit0013" dnum="US6165616A"><text>U.S. Patent No. 6,165,616</text></patcit>) for relieving the thermally-induced stress in the diamond layer. These thermally induced stresses arise during cooling after deposition at the high temperatures characteristic of CVD, and are due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the substrate and the diamond coating. We have found that the type of calculations disclosed in the '616 patent for determining the thickness of its thermally-induced stress relieving interface layer are not necessary for amorphous diamond films due to the low deposition temperature.

0028One characteristic of amorphous diamond is that it develops high intrinsic (non-thermally-induced) internal stresses, which increase as the coating thickness increases and which are predominately related to atomic bonding distortions and not to thermal expansion/contraction. While this intrinsic stress is believed to contribute to the high hardness of the material, it also limits the coating thickness since stress-induced forces tend to cause delamination of the coating from the substrate 18 (or the strengthening layer 23) above a certain thickness. Although amorphous diamond can be deposited directly on a metal, glass or iron aluminide disk (optionally with an adhesion layer), it is difficult to deposit a thick enough layer to provide adequate scratch resistance for water valve applications. Scratch resistance is important because water supplies sometimes contain abrasive contaminants due to pipeline breaks, construction, etc. The additional strengthening layer 23 of the present invention provides better support of the amorphous diamond layer 30 than does the softer substrate material, advantageously allowing a thinner layer of amorphous diamond to be used, while still obtaining improved scratch and abrasion resistance. The strengthening layer 23 can also be chosen to be a material that has a greater deposition rate and/or is less expensive to deposit than the amorphous diamond layer 30, in order to minimize overall coating cost while maintaining performance. In the most preferred embodiment, an upper thickness limit for the amorphous diamond layer 30 of around 1-2 microns can be used to avoid stress-induced delamination, while an upper thickness of around 800 nm, and more preferably around 300-500 nm, can be desirable for economic reasons while still achieving the desired performances characteristics.

0029Amorphous diamond is well suited to wet sliding applications in water valve applications. In particular it has been shown to have a very low coefficient of friction and also extremely low abrasion wear in water-lubricated sliding tests in which both sliding surfaces are coated with amorphous diamond. In contrast, DLC coatings are known to have higher friction coefficients higher wear rates, and to deteriorate in frictional performance with increasing humidity. A further advantage of amorphous diamond is that the relatively low deposition temperature allows a wider choice of substrate materials and minimizes or eliminates permanent thermally induced distortion of the substrate.

0030Regarding the low coefficient of friction reported for amorphous diamond coatings in water-lubricated sliding tests, it is thought that this may be due at least in part to graphitic inclusions (commonly called macroparticles) that are incorporated in amorphous diamond coatings made by some methods. Such graphitic inclusions can be numerous in carbon coatings deposited by cathodic arc evaporation, depending on the choice target materials and use of macroparticle filtering means as discussed below. These graphitic inclusions do not degrade the performance of the amorphous diamond coating due their softness and the small fraction of the total surface area they occupy. Rather, it is thought that they may improve performance by increasing lubricant retention between the sliding plates.

0031It is disclosed in <patcit id="pcit0014" dnum="US5401543A"><text>U.S. Patent No. 5,401,543</text></patcit> that amorphous diamond coatings which are essentially free of macroparticles can be deposited by cathodic arc evaporation from a vitreous carbon or pyrolytic graphite cathode. The maximum density of macroparticles (graphitic inclusions) in such coatings, as calculated from the areal dimensions of the photographic figures and the macroparticle counts disclosed, is around 200 macroparticles per square millimeter. Such macroparticle-free amorphous diamond coatings can be used as layer 30 in the present invention, but are less-preferred than those deposited from an ordinary graphite cathode and containing substantial numbers of graphitic inclusions, such as, for example, at least about 500 per square millimeter. They are also less preferred because the required vitreous carbon or pyrolytic graphite cathodes are quite expensive compared to ordinary graphite.

0032The number of graphitic inclusions 40 incorporated into coatings (see <figref idref="f0002">FIG. 4</figref> showing them schematically) deposited by filtered arc evaporation from an ordinary graphite cathode can be controlled according to the present invention by choosing the filter design and operating parameters so as to allow the desired number of macroparticles to be transmitted through the source. The factors influencing the transmission of macroparticles through a filter are discussed e.g. in <patcit id="pcit0015" dnum="US5840163A"><text>U.S. Patent No. 5,840,163</text></patcit>. Filter designs and operating parameters are conventionally chosen to minimize the number of macroparticles transmitted through the source, however this choice also generally reduces the (desired) output of carbon ions and hence reduces the deposition rate. Contrary to this usual practice, we fmd that it is preferable for purposes of minimizing coating cost to choose the filter design and operating parameters so as to maximize the carbon ion output of the source (i.e. the deposition rate) without exceeding the maximum tolerable number of graphitic inclusions incorporated into the coating. The maximum tolerable number of inclusions is that number above which the performance of the coated parts deteriorates unacceptably due to the increasing fraction of the surface area occupied by the inclusions. Critical performance factors can include non-leakage of the working fluid, sliding friction coefficient, scratch and abrasion resistance, and wear life. We have found that graphitic inclusion surface densities substantially higher than 500/mm are tolerable, and may be beneficial as described above.

0033The adhesion of the amorphous diamond layer 30 to a nitride form of the strengthening layer 23 can in some cases be improved by the introduction of a carbon-containing gas, such as methane, during a short period at the end of the deposition of the strengthening layer 23. This results in a thin transition zone of carbo-nitride and/or carbide material between the strengthening layer 23 and the amorphous diamond layer 30. In other cases the adhesion can be improved by turning off all reactive gasses during a short period at the end of the deposition of the strengthening layer 23. This results in a thin metal layer between the strengthening layer 23 and the amorphous diamond layer 30. It has also been noted that the introduction of methane during the filtered-arc deposition of the amorphous diamond layer 30 increases the coating deposition rate, and can also improve the coating hardness and scratch resistance. In still other cases, for example the case in which the amorphous diamond layer 30 is to be deposited on a thermally oxidized metal surface, it can be desirable to deposit the separate adhesion-promoting layer 21 between the strengthening layer 23 and the amorphous diamond layer 30. Suitable materials for the adhesion layer 21 can include for example refractory carbide-forming metals, such as, Ti and W, and various transition metals such as Cr, and can also include carbides of those metals.

0034According to an exemplary embodiment, the amorphous diamond layer provides an advantageous physical resistance to sliding wear and abrasive action of particulates in water. Further, the amorphous diamond material itself is chemically inert towards common water supply constituents (e.g., ions such as chloride and fluoride, oxidants like hypochlorite, etc.) at concentrations that may be present in municipal water supplies.

0035The substrate may also be formed from a material that resists corrosion from these water supply constituents. According to an exemplary embodiment, materials such as ceramics (e.g., alumina), metals (e.g., Zr and Ti) and alloys (e.g., stainless steel) can be used for substrate. According to a particular exemplary embodiment, the substrate may be formed from a ceramic material based on alumina with various amounts of zirconia and silica to provide reduced fluoride sensitivity for the substrate.

0036To further resist corrosion from common water supply constituents, the strengthening layer may utilize carbon and/or a carbide of Nb. According to an exemplary embodiment, a valve plate that is formed of alumina or another suitable material may have a first layer of niobium provided thereon, after which a layer of niobium nitride, niobium carbide or niobium carbo-nitride may be provided prior to the application of a layer of amorphous diamond.

0037The construction and arrangement of the elements shown in the preferred and other exemplary embodiments is illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments have been described in detail in this disclosure, those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, use of materials, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter recited herein. For example, a faucet may include an amorphous diamond coating on only one or on both of the disks included in the assembly. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the preferred and other exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention.