Fabrication and tribological behavior of self-lubricating composite impregnated with synthesized inorganic hollow fullerene-like MoS2

Abstract The impregnation of porous ceramic matrices with solid lubricants remains challenging. The inorganic hollow fullerene-like (IF) molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) solid lubricant immersed into the porous alumina matrix can improve the lubrication properties, and meanwhile maintain the exceptional mechanical properties of the matrix. In this study, porous alumina-IF-MoS2 matrix was fabricated as a self-lubricant composite; IF-MoS2 nanoparticles were synthesized by dispersion of ammonium tetra-thiomolybdate ((NH4)2MoS4) in organic solvents, and vacuum impregnation and annealing were used to immerse IF-MoS2 nanoparticles into the porous alumina matrix. The obtained self-lubricant composite characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) demonstrated hollow fullerene-like structure IF-MoS2 nanoparticles were impregnated into the porous alumina matrix, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results revealed the morphology of laminated layers. The synthesized solid lubricant impregnated into the porous alumina matrix unveiled excellent lubrication behaviors.