Tribological behaviour of W-S-C coated ceramics in a vacuum environment

Sliding of the WSC coated ceramics (ball-on-disc configuration) was investigated under vacuum condition at multiple loads (2–18 N), and each experiment was followed by detailed Raman and SEM analysis of both the wear track and the wear scar (on the ball). Main finding is that under low loads (up to 8 N), wear is polishing, carbon structure becomes more ordered and the number of WS2 monolayer increases. Above 8 N, wear transitions into an abrasive regime interrupting the aforementioned processes increasing both friction and wear. Furthermore, roles of the coating components were differentiated: WS component is responsible for the low friction, whereas the carbon part is responsible for excellent wear properties.