Performance of low friction MoS2/titanium composite coatings used in forming applications

MoS2 coatings have been proposed for improvement in the performance of cutting tools, and such coatings have been shown to give significant improvements [Rechberger J, Brunner P, Dubach R. Surf Coatings Technol 1993;62:393–398]. Recently, new MoS2 based coatings have been developed, combining very low friction with high hardness, very high wear resistance and high bearing load capacity. These properties are due to metal addition (titanium) in the MoS2 matrix and allow working in ambient conditions. These coatings are proving successful in increasing the lifetime and productivity of cutting and forming tools and also make possible high speed machining, of which several examples are given.