Purpose
This paper aims to clarify the friction properties of 304 steel surface modification. The surface modification includes laser texturing processing and nitriding treatment on 304 steel surface, and then the friction properties’ test was conducted on different friction directions and different upper test samples by using microfriction and wear testing machine.
Design/methodology/approach
The diameter and spacing of 100-, 150-, 200-, 300-μm pit array on the surface of 304 steel were calculated using a M-DPSS-50 semiconductor laser device. Then, the textured surface was nitriding-treated using a nitriding salt bath device. The chemical composition, surface morphology and surface microhardness of the composite-modified surface were measured by X-ray diffraction and by using an optical microscope and a microhardness tester. The tribological characteristics of the composite-modified surface were tested by MRTR microcomputer-controlled multifunctional friction and wear testing machine.
Findings
The result showed that a rule pit texture surface was obtained by the texture processing. The microhardness of nitriding treatment surface reached 574.27HV0.1, which significantly higher than 222.58HV0.1 of 304 steel. The composite-modified surface has excellent anti-friction and wear resistance properties when the upper specimen was GCr15 steel and ZrO2, respectively. The composite-modified surface has excellent anti-friction and anti-wear properties after long time friction under different angles. However, the friction coefficient and wear morphology of the friction pairs are not affected by the friction angle.
Research limitations/implications
Because of the chosen research approach, the research results may lack generalizability. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the proposed propositions further.
Practical implications
The paper conducted a systematic study of the tribological characteristics of 304 steel composite modification surface and provided a good basis for the extensive application of 304 steel.
Social implications
The study provides a good basis for the extensive application of 304 steel.
Originality/value
This paper fulfils an identified need to study the extensive application of 304 steel.
Study on Tribological Characteristics of Surface Modified Material by Fine Particle Peening