Influence of reciprocating friction on friction and wear characteristics of MoS2 films

Molybdenum disulfide has the characteristics of reducing friction and wear resistance and is often used as a solid lubricant in spacecraft. Due to the particularity of space missions, part of the rotating structure needs to perform reciprocating motion, which accelerates the wear of the molybdenum disulfide film. In this study, the molecular dynamics simulation method was used to study the reciprocating friction characteristics of molybdenum disulfide thin films. The effects of load and temperature on the friction and wear characteristics of molybdenum disulfide films during reciprocating friction were studied. The results show that the monolayer and bilayer molybdenum disulfide films have different damage thresholds. This study provides a new idea at the atomic level for the study of lubrication under the reciprocating motion of spacecraft.