Tailored frictional properties by Penrose inspired surfaces produced by direct laser interference patterning

• Published in: Applied surface science Vol. 367; pp. 174 - 180
• Main Authors: Gachot, Carsten, Rosenkranz, Andreas, Buchheit, Roman, Souza, Nicolas, Mücklich, Frank
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 30.03.2016
• Subjects: Coefficient of friction; Friction and wear; Homogeneity; Inference; Laser surface texturing; Orientation; Patterning; Polyimide resins; Sliding; Surface engineering; White light interferometry; Surface engineering; Friction and wear; Laser surface texturing
• ISSN: 0169-4332; 1873-5584
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2016.01.169

•Penrose-like surface patterns have been successfully created by laser interference in polyimide.•Samples were studied in detail by white light interferometry and infrared spectroscopy.•Penrose-like surface patterns show the lowest coefficient of friction of all investigated sample states. In this work, periodic line-like and quasi-periodic Penrose-like patterns were produced on polyimide samples by direct laser inference patterning. The homogeneity and symmetry of the produced patterns were characterised with white light interferometry, light microscopy and. Fourier-transformation of the acquired images thus confirmed good quality of the Penrose-like pattern. Infrared spectroscopy was used to study the chemical changes after the laser treatment. No significant influences could be detected after irradiating the polyimide surfaces. Tribological experiments (polyimide substrate versus steel ball) under dry sliding conditions were performed using ball-on-disk tribometer in linear reciprocating sliding mode as a function of the relative alignment of the sliding direction with respect to the pattern orientation. The measured coefficient of friction strongly depends on the patterning. The periodic line-patterns with an orientation parallel to the sliding direction showed the highest COF of all samples. After a running-in of approximately 50 sliding cycles the Penrose-like patterns with a 0° orientation showed the lowest coefficient of friction.