Frictional behavior of self-adaptive nanostructural Mo–Se–C coatings in different sliding conditions

Sliding properties of Mo–Se–C coatings with two different carbon content deposited by magnetron sputtering were investigated in different sliding environments (argon, nitrogen, dry and humid air). Both coatings had a structure that was identified as randomly oriented structures of MoSe2 embedded into amorphous carbon matrix. The worn surfaces, i.e. the wear tracks and the wear scars of the balls, were analyzed by optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The material transferred to the ball steel surfaces was almost exclusively MoSe2, whereas the wear tracks on the coatings were more complex, with areas rich in MoSe2 and areas similar to that of as-deposited coatings.