Study on the Synergistic Lubrication Mechanism of Nickel and Magnesium Silicate Hydroxide in Molybdenum Disulfide-Based Composite Coatings

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2)-based composite systems are widely used as solid lubricating coatings. However, further optimization towards lower friction and higher wear resistance remains necessary to meet the extreme operating conditions and high reliability requirements of next-generation aerospace equipment. This study investigated the tribological performance of MoS2/epoxy composite coatings by comparing the effects of individual and combined additions of nano nickel (Ni) and magnesium silicate hydroxide (MSH). The coating preparation process adopted in this study is the bonding method. Experimental results showed that, under a load of 2 N and a rotational speed of 500 r/min, the coating containing 0.3 g Ni and 0.1 g MSH (labeled W03Ni01MSH) achieved a 22% reduction in wear scar width compared to the coating with only Ni, demonstrating a distinct synergistic effect. This is attributed to the complementary roles of the two additives: Ni promotes the formation of flaky wear debris, facilitating rapid formation and stabilization of a transfer film, thereby reducing friction; MSH enhances the load carrying capacity of the coating and suppresses wear propagation, thereby improving wear resistance. Furthermore, this composite coating exhibited optimal performance under the conditions of 500 r/min and 2 N. The results of this study significantly improved the friction-reducing and wear-resistant properties of the MoS2/epoxy composite coating. This provides a new strategy for the formulation design of high-performance solid lubricating coatings.