Effect of the Textured Surface on Friction Coefficient

Abstract: Friction continues to be one of the main causes of energy loss in mechanical systems despite the advances in technology. As a result, this not only involves energy overuse but also maintains high levels of CO2 emissions that cannot be assumed if society wishes to shift towards a more sustainable industry. In this regard, textured surfaces have proven to be a useful feature to decrease or increase friction between two surfaces in contact. Through several pin-on-disk tribotests, this thesis aims to study the influence of three different textures on the friction coefficient: crosspatched, circumferential smooth, and circumferential rough. Height and functional parameters were extracted from the surfaces by measuring them with an optical profiler to study their influence on the tribological properties of the disks. The wear volume and film parameter were also calculated from the measured data. The crosspatched texture yielded the lowest coefficient of friction, followed by circumferential smooth and circumferential rough. The highest values of the film parameter and lowest values of wear volume were achieved by the circumferential smooth texture. Three significant correlations were found: The Sdr parameter and the Svk/Spk ratio are statistically related to the film parameter. The interaction between Sdr and Sk is correlated with the friction coefficient, although their relation does not have a practical use. Future possibilities for research can be centred around studying the validity of these correlations and the phenomena behind them, as well as expanding the study of crosspatched textures to further optimize friction.