Effect of 2Cr13 Substrate Surface Roughness on Friction and Wear Properties of Ti-doped MoS2 Films

DING Zishan; LAI Zebiao; LI Yizhi; JIANG Xiaohui; LIU Jingzhou; JI li; ERMAKOV Boris Sergeevich

doi:10.16490/j.cnki.issn.1001-3660.2025.13.009

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Surface Technology ›› 2025, Vol. 54 ›› Issue (13) : 96-106. DOI: 10.16490/j.cnki.issn.1001-3660.2025.13.009

Friction, Wear and Lubrication

Effect of 2Cr13 Substrate Surface Roughness on Friction and Wear Properties of Ti-doped MoS₂ Films

DING Zishan¹, LAI Zebiao¹, LI Yizhi¹, JIANG Xiaohui¹, LIU Jingzhou², JI li³, ERMAKOV Boris Sergeevich⁴

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Abstract

To meet the technical requirements of high performance and prolonged service life for specialized lubricating films in extreme space environments, it is imperative to satisfy the tribological property criteria of substrate-coating systems on critical component surfaces. The surface topography of substrates constitutes a critical constraint restricting the enhancement of tribological properties through coating deposition. This study focuses on the significant influence of substrate roughness on the tribological behavior of MoS₂-Ti composite coatings deposited on 2Cr13 stainless steel substrates. Through systematic investigation of the coefficient of friction (COF), wear rate, and wear mechanisms under varying surface roughness conditions, the variation in wear mechanisms associated with different substrate topographies are revealed. These findings establish theoretical foundations and engineering guidelines for surface pretreatment and lubrication design of aerospace precision moving components.
This study investigates how 2Cr13 substrate roughness (Ra 0.2-0.7 μm) affects Ti-MoS₂ films prepared by magnetron sputtering (substrate preheating 200 °C, base vacuum 3 mPa) under dry sliding. Ball-on-disk tests (5 N load, 0.105 m/s) reveal three regimes: Ra 0.2 μm shows severe adhesion (μ=0.144), Ra 0.5-0.6 μm optimizes friction-wear balance (μ=0.077-0.101, 53% lower wear rate than Ra 0.7 μm), and Ra 0.7 μm causes abrasive damage (μ=0.092). SEM/EDS analysis demonstrates that Ra 0.5-0.6 μm reduces film wear by 40% vs Ra 0.2 μm through discontinuous transfer films. This study identifies Ra 0.5 μm as the optimal surface roughness parameter within the experimental design gradient (Ra 0.2-0.7 μm) for engineering 2Cr13 components with MoS₂ films. Experimental results reveal three wear regimes governed by substrate topography. At Ra 0.2 μm, adhesive interactions is dominating, producing the highest friction coefficient (μ=0.144) and the maximum counterpart damage area (5.558×10^-4 μm²). SEM-EDS analysis shows continuous transfer films containing 20.3% oxygen, matching oxidative adhesion mechanisms. White-light profilometry reveals shallow wear tracks with material pile-up near contact zones. At intermediate roughness levels (Ra 0.5-0.6 μm), friction coefficients decrease to 0.101-0.077, and film wear rate reaches the minimum (4.387 68×10^-7 mm³·N^-1·m^-1). Reduced wear area (3.331×10^-4 and 3.523×10^-4 μm²) is linked to discontinuous transfer films, where MoS₂ layers have the minimize shear stress. High roughness (Ra 0.7 μm) causes severe abrasive wear (wear rate 8.793 01× 10^-7 mm³·N^-1·m^-1) but moderate friction (μ=0.092) due to debris-induced lubrication, with significant ploughing effects in wear scars. The molecular-mechanical friction theory explains these transitions, showing the balance between adhesive interactions and abrasive damage. For Ra 0.2 μm, the maximum contact area intensifies adhesion. Intermediate roughness optimizes asperity geometry, suppressing ploughing. White-light measurements show better film retention at Ra 0.5 μm than Ra 0.7 μm. At Ra 0.7 μm, sharp asperities generate abrasive debris that reduces friction via rolling mechanisms, evidenced by partial debris coverage in wear scars. This study identifies Ra 0.5 μm as the optimal surface roughness parameter (Ra 0.2-0.7 μm), demonstrating superior tribological properties with a 53% lower wear rate than Ra 0.7 μm and 40% reduced counterpart damage compared with Ra 0.2 μm. This is systematically validated through controlled tribological testing. Practical implementation protocols are developed through systematic parameter optimization, focusing on surface quality controls and performance validation criteria.
The methodology demonstrates that controlled substrate roughness enables regulation of adhesive-abrasive balance in solid lubricant systems, providing both fundamental insights into wear mechanism transitions. The methodology integrating substrate roughness control with multi-scale characterization provides practical engineering guidelines for optimizing solid lubricant performance in precision mechanical systems, particularly under dry sliding conditions. Experimental results confirm that optimal surface preparation achieves a 53% wear rate reduction and 40% smaller film wear compared with extreme roughness conditions, offering practical solutions for precision components requiring wear resistance enhancement.

Key words

substrate surface roughness / Ti-doped MoS₂ film / 2Cr13 substrate / friction and wear / wear mechanism / dry friction

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DING Zishan, LAI Zebiao, LI Yizhi, JIANG Xiaohui, LIU Jingzhou, JI li, ERMAKOV Boris Sergeevich. Effect of 2Cr13 Substrate Surface Roughness on Friction and Wear Properties of Ti-doped MoS₂ Films[J]. Surface Technology. 2025, 54(13): 96-106 https://doi.org/10.16490/j.cnki.issn.1001-3660.2025.13.009

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