Research on Friction and Wear Behaviors of Different Solid Lubricant Coatings on Aluminum-Based Piston Skirts

Abstract

Stringent requirements in emissions drive the application of low-carbon fuel engines, which result in prominent friction and lubrication problems in the cylinder. Solid coating technology is an effective way to enhance the tribological performance of tribo-pairs and has great potential to solve friction and lubricant problems. In this work, graphite, molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), and tungsten disulfide (WS2) solid lubricant coatings were prepared on aluminum-based piston skirts, respectively. The friction and wear behaviors of three coatings were investigated using a self-designed piston skirt friction and wear apparatus. The chemical products generated on the worn surfaces were analyzed, and the combined effect of lubricating oil and solid lubricant coatings was confirmed. The results show that the solid coatings can effectively enhance the friction and wear characteristics of piston skirt-cylinder liner tribosystem, and WS2 coating has the best anti-friction and wear-resistant performance among the three coatings.