Effects of copper-coated MoS2 on friction performance of bronze-graphite-MoS2 self-lubricating materials

Two kinds of bronze-graphite-MoS 2 self-lubricating materials with copper-coated MoS 2 and uncoated MoS 2 were prepared by powder metallurgy. Friction and wear experiments were carried out under 4 N and 10 N loads respectively, and the effects of copper-coated MoS 2 on the friction performances of the materials were studied. Results showed that the way of copper-coated on the surface of MoS 2 could reinforce the bonding between MoS 2 and matrix, and inhibited the formation of MoO 2 . Moreover, both materials formed a MoS 2 lubricating film on the surface during the friction process. While the lubricating film formed after copper coating on MoS 2 was thicker and had uneven morphology, it was more conducive to improving the friction performance of the material. Compared with conventional materials, the wear rate of copper-coated materials was reduced by one order of magnitude, and the friction coefficient was also reduced by 22.44% and 22.53%, respectively, when sliding under 4 N and 10 N loads. It shows that copper-coated MoS 2 can improve friction properties of bronze-graphite-MoS 2 self-lubricating materials furtherly.