Improvement of Tribological Properties of Steel by Femtosecond Laser-Inductive Microstructuring

Steel 1.7220 is widely used in mechanical engineering for heavily loaded components operating at temperatures up to 450 °C. Femtosecond laser processing enables the formation of controlled microstructures without overheating or deformation, reducing the contact area and serving as reservoirs for lubricants. This study aims to evaluate the effect of laser microstructuring (Mesh and LIPSS types) on the tribological properties of steel, particularly under dry lubrication with powder. Micro- and nanostructures were analyzed using optical and scanning electron microscopy. Tribological tests were conducted using the ball-on-plate reciprocating method, with a load of 200 g, a frequency of 2 Hz, and a stroke amplitude of 1 cm for 30 minutes. For LIPSS structures, the influence of the friction direction relative to the orientation of the surface structures was investigated. The change in surface morphology after laser texturing was investigated. The effects of lubrication and surface structuring on tribological properties were analyzed, and the role of periodic structures in enhancing tribofilm stability was demonstrated.