Tribological Properties of Fe-Cu-MoS2 and Self-Lubricating Behaviors

The Fe-Cu-MoS 2 composites with different adding amount of MoS 2 as lubricant were prepared by induction sintering method. Their mechanical and tribological properties from room temperature (RT) to 800°C were tested by universal testing machine and high temperature tribometer. The effects of amounts of MoS 2 , temperature, load and sliding distance on the friction and wear properties of composite were discussed. The structure of the composite was analyzed by XRD and worm surface morphologies were observed by SEM. It was found that MoS 2 was decomposed during the hot-press sintering process. Meanwhile, solid solution alloy of Mo and Fe, and sulfides were formed in composite, which were responsible for low-friction and high wear-resistance at elevated temperature, respectively. Hardness and anti-compress strength can be improved by adding 8 wt. % MoS 2 . The friction coefficients and wear rates of composites decrease with the increase of adding amount of MoS 2 until a critical value of 8 wt. %. The composite with 8 wt. % MoS 2 shows the optimum tribological properties over the temperature range of RT~800°C.