Assessment and comparing the lubrication quality of solid lubricants made of graphite and MoS2 used for wheel flange/rail gauge corner lubrication by using pin-on-disc tribometer

In light of the widespread application of solid lubricants for wheel flange lubrication and selecting the best composition of these products, three well-known lubricant blocks incorporating 30% graphite, 30% MoS2, and a mixture of 15% graphite and 15% MoS2 have been assessed using a pin-on-disc apparatus at pure sliding conditions. All the specimens, which were encapsulated in an identical thermosetting resin, were evaluated at a sliding speed (V=0.6 m/s) and two different normal loads (F=25, 50 N), followed by representing the results in terms of coefficient of friction graphs, retentivity graphs, and wear rate charts. According to the results, the lubricant which comprised a mixture of graphite and MoS2 was superior to the others, with the reduction of COF by 94%. Following that, the MoS2-based lubricant and graphite-based lubricant diminished COF by 91% and 88%, respectively.