Tribological Behavior and Mechanism of Silane-Bridged H-BN/MoS2 Hybrid Filling Epoxy Solid Lubricant Coatings

To significantly improve the tribological performance of epoxy resin (EP), a novel h-BN/MoS composite was successfully synthesized using spherical MoS particles with lamellar self-assembly generated through the calcination method, followed by utilizing the "bridging effect" of a silane coupling agent to achieve a uniform and vertically oriented decoration of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) nanosheets on the MoS surface. The chemical composition and microstructure of the h-BN/MoS composite were systematically investigated. Furthermore, the enhancement effect of composites with various contents on the frictional properties of epoxy coatings was studied, and the mechanism was elucidated. The results demonstrate that the uniform decoration of h-BN enhances the chemical stability of MoS in friction tests, and the MoS prevents oxidation and maintains its self-lubricating properties. Consequently, due to the protective effect of h-BN and the synergistic interaction between h-BN and MoS, the 5 wt % h-BN/MoS composite exhibited the best friction and wear resistance when incorporated into EP. Compared to pure EP coatings, its average friction coefficient and specific wear rate (0.026 and 1.5 × 10 mm N m, respectively) were significantly reduced. Specifically, the average friction coefficient decreased by 88% and the specific wear rate decreased by 99%, highlighting the superior performance of the h-BN/MoS-enhanced epoxy composite coating.