Tribological and mechanical properties of MoS2 enhanced polyamide 12 for selective laser sintering

The solid lubricant MoS2 was used as the reinforcement filler for the Polyamide12 material for the additive manufacturing process - selective laser sintering. The tribological and mechanical properties of the laser sintered PA12/MoS2 and PA12 were investigated by the linear reciprocating ball-on-flat wear and impact tests. Results show that by incorporating the MoS2 filler into the PA12 matrix, the impact properties was improved. The coefficient of friction and wear rate of the laser sintered PA12/MoS2 were reduced significantly. The worn surface formed in the wear test was shallow and smoother for the PA12/MoS2, where only mild wear occurred. The XPS testing suggested the involvement of the mechanical-chemical reaction, which resulted the decomposing of the MoS2 and the enhancement of the wear properties of the PA12/MoS2.