The friction and wear behavior of Cu/Cu-MoS2 self-lubricating coating prepared by electrospark deposition

Cu/Cu-MoS2 self-lubricating coatings were prepared on high speed steel (HSS) by electrospark deposition (ESD). The friction and wear behavior of the coating was studied. The results show that the self-lubricating coatings have better wear resistance than uncoated HSS. The friction and wear properties depend on the deposition conditions. The optimum deposition conditions were the 4th grade capacitance, 7 min deposition time and 26% volume ratio of MoS2 to Cu. The worn surface showed that the wear mechanism of the self-lubricating coating was different from uncoated high speed steel. The wear mechanism of the self-lubricating coating was fatigue wear and abrasive wear.