Fabrication of textured composite surface and its tribological properties under starved lubrication and dry sliding conditions

Rapid advancements in the application of high-speed rotating machinery impose challenges on the design of mechanical component surfaces, which require satisfactory wear resistances and self-lubricating performances. To improve tribological properties, a textured composite surface was fabricated by filling solid lubricant in textured dimples. A pin-on-disc tribo-meter was used to conduct friction tests of the textured composite surface under starved lubrication and dry sliding conditions, respectively. Results indicated that the friction coefficient of the textured composite surface was lower than that of the non-textured surface under starved lubrication. The influence of area density on the tribological performance and temperature rise of the textured composite surface was also investigated. The surface with an area density of 39.2% demonstrated the achievement of excellent tribological performance. In addition, the self-lubricating mechanisms of the textured composite surface were identified by SEM analysis of wear scar characterization and by simulating the thermal-expansion of the solid lubricant with a coupled thermal-mechanical model. The results showed that the solid lubricant filled in the dimples thermally expanded and formed a transfer film on the sliding surface to protect the surface from contact sliding.