Mo element-induced wear behavior evolution of self-lubricant Ti(C, N)-based cermets

In the work, Mo element is used to adjust composition and distribution of the lubricating phase of the self lubricant Ti(C, N)-based cermets. Ring-block wear test of self-mate pairs is conducted. The microstructure and wear behavior evolution of the cermets are investigated. The results indicate by adjusting the content of Mo, the distribution of graphite on the surface of the self-lubricant cermets changes. With the increase of Mo content, the volume of graphite decrease, and the undissolved Mo increase. During self-mate pair sliding wear, the tribolayer transform from graphite to graphite + MoOx and then to MoOx. The cermets with 4 wt%. Mo show the best tribological properties, which shows a smooth and dense composite tribolayer formed mainly by graphite and MoOx.