Tribology of Composite Au-MoS2 Films at Varying Contact Stresses

Abstract

Solid-lubricant coatings for sliding electrical contact applications like slip-ring assemblies have very different requirements from typical applications like ball bearings and cutting tools: they have significantly lower contact stresses and sliding speeds. We are optimizing the performance of sputter-deposited nanocomposite Au-MoS2 films for such low con tact stress applications. Higher contact stress pin-on-disk tests (S(sub m) = 730 MPa) showed that low Au-MoS2 films (i.e., 22 to 38 at% Au) outperformed those with higher Au content (i.e. greater or equal to 55 at% Au). In contrast, low contact stress disk-on-disk tests (S(sub m) ^ 0.3 MPa) showed that higher Au-content films outperformed low Au-MoS2 films. These results, along with Auger Nanoprobe post-test analysis, indicate that Au provides structural integrity for the films in the high-contact-stress tests, while optimizing the MoS2 transfer rate in the low-contact-stress tests. The results are promising for sliding electrical contacts because high-Au films not only perform the best tribologically, but also exhibit the highest electrical conductivity.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 2003
Accession Number
ADA416193

Entities

People

  • J. R. Lince

Organizations

  • The Aerospace Corporation

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Chemical Reactions
  • Composite Materials
  • Compound Semiconductors
  • Detectors
  • Engineering
  • Fabrication
  • Films
  • Laser Spectroscopy
  • Lubricants
  • Materials
  • Materials Laboratories
  • Microelectromechanical Systems
  • Slip Rings
  • Solid Lubricants
  • Space Systems
  • Tribology

Readers

  • Thin Film Deposition Science.
  • Tribology (the study of the boundary interaction between sliding surfaces, lubrication, wear and friction).