Abstract
The tribological performances of the SiO&sub2;/MoS&sub2; hybrids as lubricant additives were explored by a reciprocating ball-on-flat tribometer for AZ31 magnesium alloy/AISI 52100 bearing steel pairs. The results demonstrated that the introduction of SiO&sub2;/MoS&sub2; hybrids into the base oil exhibited a significant reduction in the friction coefficient and wear volume as well as an increase in load bearing capacity, which was better than the testing results of the SiO&sub2; or MoS&sub2; nanolubricants. Specifically, the addition of 0.1 wt % nano-SiO&sub2; mixed with 1.0 wt % nano-MoS&sub2; into the base oil reduced the friction coefficient by 21.8% and the wear volume by 8.6% compared to the 1.0 wt % MoS&sub2; nanolubricants. The excellent lubrication behaviors of the SiO&sub2;/MoS&sub2; hybrid nanolubricants can be explained by the micro-cooperation of different nanoparticles with disparate morphology and lubrication mechanisms.