Ultra‐Low Friction on 100Cr6‐Steel Surfaces After Direct Laser Interference Patterning

This study discusses the effects of surface topographies on the frictional behavior of 100Cr6 bearing steel. A solid state laser with nanosecond pulses is used to produce one‐ and two‐dimensional periodic micropatterns using direct laser interference patterning. Line‐, cross‐, and dot‐like patterns with pitches of 5 μm, and aspect ratios (AR) between 0.02 and 0.17 are fabricated. The friction tests of the surface textured samples are performed under lubricating conditions using a ball‐on‐disk configuration in rotating mode. The results show that through the surface structure a reduction of the friction coefficient from 25 to 65% can be achieved compared to unstructured surfaces. The smallest coefficients of friction are obtained for ARs between 0.07 and 0.11.