Lubricant-hard-ductile nanocomposite coatings and methods of making

A composite coating composition comprising:

• a ductile metal phase for providing ductility to a surface, wherein the ductile metal phase comprises a compound selected from the group consisting of a transition metal, Co, Ni, Fe, Mo, Cr, Cu, W, Ta, In, Tl, an alloy of metals or transition metals, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing;
• a lubricant phase comprising particles having a dimension of less than 100 nanometers (“nanoparticles”) distributed in the ductile metal phase for providing lubrication to the surface;
• and
• a hard ceramic phase comprising particles having a dimension of less than 100 nanometers distributed in the ductile metal phase for providing structural integrity and wear resistance to the surface, wherein said coating has a Vickers Hardness Number of 400-1000.