Solid lubricant behavior of MoS2 and WSe2-based nanocomposite coatings

• Published in: Science and technology of advanced materials Vol. 18; no. 1; pp. 122 - 133
• Main Authors: Domínguez-Meister, Santiago, Rojas, Teresa Cristina, Brizuela, Marta, Sánchez-López, Juan Carlos
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Taylor & Francis 01.01.2017; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Taylor & Francis Group
• Subjects: 10 Engineering and Structural materials; 102 Porous / Nanoporous / Nanostructured materials; 105 Low-Dimension (1D/2D) materials; 306 Thin film / Coatings; 501 Chemical analyses; 503 TEM, STEM, SEM; analytical electron microscopy; Coatings; Coefficient of friction; Composition; Engineering and Structural Materials; friction; Functionally graded material; Magnetron sputtering; Molybdenum disulfide; Nanocomposites; Nitrogen; Raman spectroscopy; Relative humidity; Solid lubricants; structure-property relationship; Tribology; Tungsten carbide; Wear rate
• ISSN: 1468-6996; 1878-5514
• DOI: 10.1080/14686996.2016.1275784

Tribological coatings made of MoS 2 and WSe 2 phases and their corresponding combinations with tungsten carbide (WC) were prepared by non-reactive magnetron sputtering of individual targets of similar composition. A comparative tribological analysis of these multiphase coatings was done in both ambient air (30-40% relative humidity, RH) and dry nitrogen (RH<7%) environments using the same tribometer and testing conditions. A nanostructural study using advanced transmission electron microscopy of the initial coatings and examination of the counterfaces after the friction test using different analytical tools helped to elucidate what governs the tribological behavior for each type of environment. This allowed conclusions to be made about the influence of the coating microstructure and composition on the tribological response. The best performance obtained with a WSe x film (specific wear rate of 2 × 10 −8  mm 3  N -1 m -1 and a friction coefficient of 0.03-0.05) was compared with that of the well-established MoS 2 lubricant material.