Effect of Optimization of Texture Density on Improving the Tribological Properties of Metal Friction Pairs with Different Hardness Ratios

Surface microtexturing technology is one of the important methods for friction interface modulation. On the surfaces of AISI 304, ASTM F136, ASTM B348, and AISI 52100, microtextures with area densities of 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% are processed, respectively. Friction coefficients are separated into components using principal component analysis, and the wear morphology is characterized by optical microscopy. Additionally, finite element method simulation is employed to investigate the friction mechanism of textured surfaces. The results show that the friction coefficients of AISI 304, ASTM F136, ASTM B348, and AISI 52100 reach their minimum values at texture densities of 10%, 5%, 15%, and 10%, respectively. Meanwhile, the wear rates of the four materials are minimized at texture densities of 20%, 5%, 15%, and 5%, respectively. These findings indicate that different surface texture densities have varying effects on the actual contact area. Moreover, textured surfaces exhibit superior friction performance compared to smooth surfaces.