Anti-wear resistance of nickel-aluminum bronze alloys by surface-textured structures and laser surface texturing

Abstract To address the fretting wear challenges of propeller hub bearing interfaces, the effects of optimizing laser surface texturing (LST) processes and texturing parameters on the tribological performance of nickel-aluminum bronze alloys have been investigated. The orthogonal experimental design, fretting wear tests, and microstructural characterization were employed to evaluate the relationship between laser processing parameters, surface-textured structure parameters, and anti-wear resistance performance. Investigations into LST processing characteristics revealed that while increasing power triggers a plasma shielding effect that limits ablation efficiency, elevating the scanning speed to 240 mm s −1 can reduce recast layer thickness by over 80%. A deterministic surface texturing with superior structural integrity was achieved. Compared to smooth sample surfaces, LST specimens maintained an attenuated and stable friction response (friction coefficient: 0.151–0.169) and significantly suppressed the transition from abrasive wear to severe plastic deformation. This superior performance is attributed to the ‘multi-functional reservoir’ effect of the surface-textured structures, which facilitates hydrodynamic lubrication and sequesters deleterious debris to mitigate three-body abrasion and thermal softening. While intensified edge stresses (140 MPa) under extreme marine service condition (⩾55 MPa) can trigger localized fracture and lateral extrusion, this research underscores that deterministic control of texture geometry is critical for sustaining the long-term service reliability of marine propulsion systems.