Effects of proton implantation on the tribological behavior of MoS₂/PES-C composites

The effects of proton implantation on the tribological behavior of MoS₂/PES-C composites were studied. The structural changes of the composites caused by the proton implantation were studied by using infrared spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results show that part of PES-C degrades after proton implantation, and a carbon-rich structure forms on the surface of the composites, whereas there are no obvious chemical changes for MoS₂ during the implantation process. The friction and wear tests reveal that the wear-resist ance of the composites could be improved by proton implantation. Especially when the dose reaches 1.25 × 10¹⁶ ions/cm², its friction coefficient and wear rate decrease simultaneously. The wear mechanism changes from adhesive wear and plastic deformation for the un-implanted composites to fatigue wear for the implanted ones.