The tribological properties and the microstructure of Cu–Mo–S coatings

Coatings on the basis of the Cu–Mo–S system were deposited on the Cu substrate by the method of pulse magnetron sputtering of a special composite target. The wear resistance of the coatings with a copper friction pair was studied using the tribological tests in argon and the air environment. The coating properties were investigated using a variety of methods including SEM, TEM/EDS, and XRD. The fiber-globular structure of the coatings was evaluated. The investigation showed that the Cu–Mo–S coatings could decrease the wear rate of a copper friction pair in ~350 times in the argon atmosphere. A decrease of the friction coefficient of the copper friction pair from 0.59 to 0.27 (with a coating) was observed during the tribological tests in the air environment.