Metal substrates were preprocessed via picosecond laser surface texturing (PLST, 532 nm) to fabricate interfacial microgrooves for tribological performance optimization prior to deposition of a magnesium silicate hydroxide (MSH)/graphite/MoS2–PI solid lubricant coating. By tuning the PLST parameters (average laser power: 0.2–0.5 W, scan passes: 3–5, hatch spacing: 0.005–0.1 mm), three representative texture geometries (linear, circular, and square) were produced, and the resulting coating performance was compared with conventional mechanical polishing and sandblasting pretreatments. Among the three laser textures, the linear texture exhibited the most excellent tribological performance and interfacial adhesion, outperforming the circular and square counterparts. Ball-on-disk tests in a kerosene-contaminated environment (10 N, 800 rpm) showed that the linear-textured sample reached the lowest steady-state friction coefficient (0.038), lower than polished (0.048) and sandblasted (0.052) controls, together with reduced wear scar dimensions. Progressive-load scratch tests indicated a pronounced adhesion enhancement, with the critical failure load increasing from 7.05 N (polished) to 26.05 N for the linear-textured interface, which is higher than 21.21 N (circular) and 23.78 N (square) textures. Cross-sectional microscopy and EDS mapping reveal that the laser-defined microgrooves (~15 μm depth, ~120 μm width, ~500 μm spacing) act as a parameter-controlled interfacial architecture that promotes mechanical interlocking and provides lubricant-rich reservoirs. This laser-enabled interfacial design suppresses delamination, supports transfer film stability, and ultimately enhances the coating’s tribological performance by reducing friction and wear.
Gao et al. (Fri,) studied this question.