Tribological properties of adaptive phosphate composite coatings with addition of silver and molybdenum disulfide

Adaptive phosphate composite coatings with addition of solid lubricants of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) and silver (Ag) using aluminum chromium phosphate as the binder were fabricated on high-temperature steel. The tribological properties of phosphate composite coatings were evaluated from room temperature (RT) to 700 °C. The phase composition and microstructure were investigated according to the characterization by power X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results show that the composite coating with the Ag/MoS2 mass ratio of 2:1 exhibits the stable and low friction coefficients from RT to 700 °C and relative low wear rates at all testing temperatures. The tribo-chemical reaction between Ag and MoS2 occurred in the rubbing process to form silver molybdates compounds lubricating film. The temperature-adaptive tribological properties were attributed to the formation of lubricating films composed of lubricants silver, MoS2 and silver molybdates phases on the worn surfaces of the composites coatings in a wide-temperature range.