The structural and tribological properties of MoS2-Ti composite solid lubricants

MoS2-Ti composite solid lubricant films were deposited on an A1SI D2 tool steel and silicon wafer by CFUBMS (closed field unbalanced magnetron sputtering). The deposition process was performed for nine different test conditions at various levels of target current, working pressure, and substrate voltage using the Taguchi L-9(3(4)) experimental method. It was observed that the chemical composition of MoS2-Ti composite films was significantly affected by sputtering parameters. It was determined that the microstructure of composite films is neither crystalline nor amorphous; in other words, it is quasi-amorphous, and (002) and (100) planes characteristic of MoS2 occurred. The friction coefficients of the films were determined over 1800 s and at a loading of 10 N by means of a pin-on-disk tribotester. The changes in friction coefficient were related to structural changes based on Ti addition and the different levels of deposition parameters.