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

Two kinds of bronze-graphite-MoS2 self-lubricating materials with copper-coated MoS2 and uncoated MoS2 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 MoS2 on the friction performances of the materials were studied. Results showed that the way of copper-coated on the surface of MoS2 could reinforce the bonding between MoS2 and matrix, and inhibited the formation of MoO2. Moreover, both materials formed a MoS2 lubricating film on the surface during the friction process. While the lubricating film formed after copper coating on MoS2 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 MoS2 can improve friction properties of bronze-graphite-MoS2 self-lubricating materials furtherly.