Tribological Performance of Nitrogen-Modified Physical Vapor Deposition-Molybdenum Disulfide (PVD-MoS2) Coatings in Rolling–Sliding Contact: Correlation Between Wear, Microstructure, and Chemical Composition

Seynstahl A, Arold T, Dhamo K, Meyer B, Merle B, Tremmel S (2025)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2025

Journal

Tribology Transactions Taylor & Francis

Book Volume: 68

Pages Range: 1146-1161

Journal Issue: 5

DOI: 10.1080/10402004.2025.2548404

Abstract

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) solid lubricant coatings are frequently used in vacuum applications due to their superior friction and wear-reducing behavior. They are often deposited by physical vapor deposition (PVD), which can, under certain conditions, result in non-ideal tribological behavior and coating performance. In this study, we investigate the influence of nitrogen modification on the tribological behavior of PVD-MoS2 coatings in rolling–sliding contacts under varying slide-to-roll ratios and Hertzian pressures in vacuum. A two-disk tribometer was used, where 100Cr6 bearing steel disks were pressed against each other, one coated and one uncoated, while friction forces were measured. In addition, the surfaces were characterized before and after tribological loading, using scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and microhardness measurements in order to identify tribologically induced changes. Nitrogen modification led to a significant increase in indentation hardness and indentation modulus, correlating with reduced wear. Furthermore, softer coatings exhibited compaction, which was dependent on the applied pressure during tribological testing. Density-functional theory calculations provide further insights into the effect of nitrogen incorporation on the chemical composition, stability, and growth of the MoS2 coatings.

Authors with CRIS profile

Kevin Dhamo Sonderforschungsbereich 953/3 Synthetische Kohlenstoffallotrope Bernd Meyer Professur für Computational Chemistry

Involved external institutions

Universität Bayreuth DE Germany (DE) Universität Kassel DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Seynstahl, A., Arold, T., Dhamo, K., Meyer, B., Merle, B., & Tremmel, S. (2025). Tribological Performance of Nitrogen-Modified Physical Vapor Deposition-Molybdenum Disulfide (PVD-MoS2) Coatings in Rolling–Sliding Contact: Correlation Between Wear, Microstructure, and Chemical Composition. Tribology Transactions, 68(5), 1146-1161. https://doi.org/10.1080/10402004.2025.2548404

MLA:

Seynstahl, Armin, et al. "Tribological Performance of Nitrogen-Modified Physical Vapor Deposition-Molybdenum Disulfide (PVD-MoS2) Coatings in Rolling–Sliding Contact: Correlation Between Wear, Microstructure, and Chemical Composition." Tribology Transactions 68.5 (2025): 1146-1161.

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