Fabrication and tribological characterization of laser textured engineering ceramics: Si3N4, SiC and ZrO2

Abstract

Ceramics have been widely used in the field of tribology due to their superior corrosion resistance and low friction coefficient. The tribological properties of ceramics can be improved by machining proper surface texture. This work uses a nanosecond laser to process dimples on different ceramic surfaces. The morphology and size of dimples as a function of the number of laser shots and laser power are investigated. A theoretical model relating laser parameters and dimple size is established. In the initial point contact friction test, based on the experimental parameters mentioned in this paper, the existence of surface texture reduces the wear volume of Si3N4 balls in water by 41.5% and the wear volume of ZrO2 balls in oil by 51%.