Hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets reinforcing Ni-Mo alloy coating for improved wear resistance

In this study, hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) were successfully exfoliated from bulk hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) and were used as a reinforcement material for the first time in Ni-Mo coating. The results demonstrate that uniformly dispersed BNNSs played a crucial role in improving the wear resistance of the BNNSs-reinforced Ni-Mo alloy coating (Ni-Mo/BNNS). The wear rate decreased by over 42%, and the friction coefficient decreased from 0.6 to 0.4 (a 33.3% reduction) compared to the original Ni-Mo coating. Additionally, BNNSs facilitated grain refinement, resulting in a slight increase in microhardness. These results highlight the promising potential of the Ni-Mo/BNNS coating as a highly effective wear-resistant material in various applications.