Microstructure and mechanical properties of MoS2/titanium composite coatings with different titanium content

The MoS2/titanium composite coatings (MoST) with different titanium contents have been deposited by standard Teer CFUBMSIP system in this study. The composition, structure and mechanical properties of these MoST composite coatings were investigated using several analytical techniques (XRD, XPS, SEM, TEM, EDAX, nano-indentation and pin-on-disk test). The results show that pure MoS2 coatings are amorphous, the MoST coatings with Ti 15.3 at.% and 19.5 at.% have a composite microstructure consisting of nano-crystalline MoS2 phase and amorphous MoS2 phase. The degree of crystallization of the MoST coatings increases with the increase of titanium content. The composite coatings are of higher hardness, adhesion and also lower friction coefficient in humid air than those of pure MoS2 coatings. Significant improvement on the tribological properties has been obtained, which is very important for the industrial applications of cutting and forming tools.