Effect of SiO₂ and MoS₂ Particles as Lubricant Additives on Lubrication Performance in Sheet Metal Forming

Modifying lubricants with hard material particles improves lubricant performance by allowing the particles to penetrate the contact area and separate the contacting surfaces. The use of solid particles as additives in fluid lubricants presents a promising avenue for providing effective lubrication under high loads in sheet metal forming. This article presents the results of friction tests using the bending under tension friction tribotester. Low-carbon DC01 steel sheets were used as the test material. The main goal of the study was to determine the effect of lubricant modification by adding MoS₂ and SiO₂ particles and the modification of 145Cr6 steel countersamples on the coefficient of friction (CoF), changes in friction-induced surface roughness and friction mechanisms. The surfaces of the countersamples were modified using electron beam melting and the ion implantation of lead (IPb). It was found that increasing the SiO₂ and MoS₂ content in DC01/145Cr6 and DC01/IPb contacts under base oil lubrication conditions resulted in a decrease in the CoF value. For the countersample subjected to electron beam melting, considering all friction conditions, the CoF decreased between 31.9% and 37.5%.