Abstract <p>Molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) coatings are a popular option for lubrication in aerospace and hermetic applications due to low friction/wear in dry environments. Infrequent exposure to humid environments or testing in terrestrial atmospheres can negatively impact the performance and structure of pure MoS₂ coatings, necessitating the use of dopants to counteract degradation. Composite MoS₂ coatings commonly utilize dopants like Ti, C, Cr, Ni, Sb₂O₃, Pb or Au, many of which have shown improved performance over un-doped MoS₂ coatings leading to the adoption of a variety of composite formulations across industrial applications. This work focuses on the widely used MoS₂-Sb₂O₃-Au coatings and their anomalously high friction behavior (µ &gt; 1) in humid environments at nominal contact pressures (~ 0.5 to 1&#xa0;GPa) without coating failure. The origin of these high friction deviations is investigated using high-throughput tribological testing in environments with varying contact pressure and humidity. The Sb₂O₃ and Au composition is varied to understand the role of dopants in promoting high and low friction sliding interfaces. The results from this work suggest that increasing dopant concentration, like increasing water concentration or reducing contact pressure, is another source for inhibition of MoS₂ recrystallization in the sliding contact leading to abrasive, high friction interfaces.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>