Growth of Mo₂C nanoparticles on graphene as lubricant filler for high tribological performances of fabric self-lubricating liner composites

In this article, Mo₂C/graphene nanocomposites were synthesized by an in situ carburization of ammonium molybdate adsorbed on the surface of graphene oxide, and its tribological performances as lubricant filler were systematically investigated. Characterizations using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) demonstrated that the Mo₂C (10-30 nm) nanoparticles had been successfully synthesized and were well dispersed on the graphene nanosheets' surfaces. The results of wear tests showed that the Mo₂C/graphene-2 reinforced hybrid PTFE/Nomex fabric self-lubricating liner composite exhibited the best tribological properties among all the samples. The excellent tribological performances of the Mo₂C/graphene-2 reinforced hybrid PTFE/Nomex fabric self-lubricating liner composite were mainly ascribed to the synergistic lubricating actions of the Mo₂C nanoparticles and graphene nanosheets during the sliding process. Besides, the wear mechanisms of the fabric composites are discussed in detail based on the characterizations.