Effects of solid lubricants on friction and wear behaviors of the phenolic coating under different friction conditions

The phenolic coating filled with micro-MoS2 or micro-graphite was prepared by spraying the coating precursors. The friction and wear behaviors of the unfilled and filled phenolic composite coating sliding against the steel ring were evaluated on an MHK-500 friction and wear tester under dry friction and under water lubrication conditions. The worn surfaces of the unfilled and filled phenolic coating and the transfer films formed on the surface of the steel ring were investigated using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and an optical microscope (OM), respectively. FTIR analysis was performed to detect the chemical changes of the composite coating under different lubrication conditions. It was found that addition of graphite was effective in enhancing the wear life of the phenolic coating. Especially, the anti-wear ability of the phenolic coating was best when the content of graphite is 10 wt.%. However, the MoS2 as filler was harmful to the friction and wear behaviors of the phenolic coating. The character of the fillers varied with the types of the solid lubricants and the transfer films of varied features formed on the counterpart steel ring, largely accounted for the different friction and wear behaviors of the unfilled and filled phenolic composite coating. Compared with under dry sliding, the phenolic composite coating filled with 10 wt.% MoS2 or 10 wt.% graphite had lower friction coefficients and lower wear life under water lubrication. Since water hindered the formation of transferred films, and might penetrate and corrode the filler–matrix interface, the anti-wear ability of the phenolic composite coating reinforced with MoS2 or graphite deteriorated under water lubrication.