Tribological properties of WS2 composite film prepared by a two-step method

In order to extend the application range of solid lubricant WS2, the author adopted a two-step method to prepare WS2 film; namely, W film was first fabricated on the AISI 1045 steel by magnetron sputtering method, and then treated by low temperature ion sulfuration to obtain WS2 composite film. XRD was used to analyze the phase structure of the WS2 composite film; its surface and worn scar morphologies were analyzed with SEM + EDS; X-ray stress determinator was utilized to measure its residual stress; the nano-hardness and elastic modulus of WS2 composite film were surveyed by a nano-indentation tester. The tribological properties were investigated on a ball-on-disk wear tester under dry condition. The results showed that WS2 composite film had much better anti-friction and wear-resistance properties than the original 1045 steel and sulfurized layer.