Experimental Investigation on Synergetic Effects of Micro Grooves and WSe₂ in Sliding Contact

Improving tribological behaviors for dry contacts has always been a hot study topic, since liquid lubricants are not applicable for certain vital scenarios, including space travel equipment. This study describes the synergetic effects of micro groove texture and WSe₂ flakes as solid lubricants on friction reduction in dry sliding contact. The reciprocating sliding tests were performed under the dry and WSe₂ flake-filled conditions while varying the texture geometric feathers and WSe₂ flake sizes. According to the experimental results, the coefficient of friction (CoF) could be reduced by 80% due to the combination of micro grooves and WSe₂ flakes compared to the non-textured cases. The optimal width (b = 130 µm) of the groove was identified under both dry and WSe₂ flake-filled conditions. The SEM observation suggested that the WSe₂ flakes have different sizes. The influence of the WSe₂ granularity on reducing friction was discussed based on the results. This study provides a novel solution for reducing friction, which suggests that there is a synergetic effect and optimal parameters for friction reduction with micro grooves and WSe₂ flakes.