Effect of specimen orientation and heat treatment on electroless Ni-PTFE-MoS2 composite coatings

In this study, the effects of simultaneous co-deposition of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and MoS2 particles on tribological properties of electroless nickel (EN) coating were studied. The influences of specimen orientation and heat treatment on EN-PTFE-MoS2 composite coatings were also investigated. Scanning electron microscopy was used to study the morphology of coatings and the distributions of the lubricant particles in the deposits. Chemical analyses of coatings were done by electron dispersive spectrometry. The phases of the coatings were identified by X-ray diffraction utilizing CuK alpha radiation. Wear and friction properties of the coatings were also determined by pin-on-disk wear tester. The wear investigations showed that the EN-PTFE-MoS2 composite coating performs better than EN-PTFE and EN-MoS2 coatings in terms of friction coefficient and wear resistance. PTFE and MoS2 contents of the EN-PTFE-MoS2 coating were increased by changing the specimen orientation from vertical to horizontal configuration, which leads to enhancement in tribological properties of the coating. After heat treatment, the wear rate of EN matrix composite coating decreased with corresponding change in phase structure.