Several pellet-on disk and pad-on disk tribometer tests were conducted to study the lubrication characteristics of third-body particles of MoS2 powder. The tests consisted of simultaneous pellet-on disk and pad-on disk sliding contacts. Results from the tests show the self-repairing, self-replenishing, oil-free lubrication mechanism of MoS2. A theoretical control-volume fractional coverage model was developed to predict (1) the friction coefficient at the pad/disk interface and (2) the wear factor for the lubricated pellet/disk sliding contact. The fractional coverage varies with time and quantifies the amount of third body film covering the disk asperities. Results from the model capture the tribological behavior of the experimental sliding contacts reasonably well.

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