A Study on Wear Resistance of HVOF-Sprayed Ni-MoS2 Self-Lubricating Composite Coatings

Abstract

Composite coating techniques are becoming increasingly popular owing to their peculiar performances. In this study, the wear resistance of thermally sprayed Ni-MoS2 composite coatings on an AISI 1020 steel substrate was investigated. Ni-MoS2 composite powder (size: 60-90 μm) containing 25 wt.% of dispersed MoS2 was prepared by electroless plating. Ni-MoS2 composite coatings were then prepared by HVOF thermal spraying. The coatings were characterized by structural, surface morphological, and compositional analyses by means of microhardness tests, SEM/EDS, XRD, and ICP-AES. For the evaluation of their anti-wear properties, the composites were subjected to ball-on-disk dry wear tests based on the ASTM G99 standard at room temperature. Experimental results showed that some of the MoS2 content dispersed in the Ni-based composite coating burnt away during the high-temperature spraying process, thereby reducing the MoS2 concentration in the coating. In the wear test, the weight loss in the Ni-MoS2 composite coating was minimal under a low load ( 30 N). The average wear rate of the coatings was found to be ~1/40 times that of a Ni coating, showing that the wear resistance of the composite coatings was significantly improved by MoS2 addition.