Lesyk, D. A., Martinez, S., Mordyuk, B. N., Dzhemelinskyi, V. V., Lamikiz, A., Prokopenko, G. I., Grinkevych, K. E., and Tkachenko, I. V.
This paper is focused on the effects of the separately applied laser heat treatment (LHT) and ultrasonic impact treatment (UIT) and the combined LHT + UIT process on the wear and friction behaviors of the hardened surface layers of the tool steel AISI D2. In comparison with the initial state, wear losses of the treated specimens after long-term wear tests were decreased by 68, 41, and 77% at the LHT, UIT, and combined LHT + UIT processes, respectively. The Abbott–Firestone bearing curves were used to analyze the material ratio and functional characterization (bearing capacity and oil capacitance) of the studied surface specimens. The wear losses registered after short (15 min) tests correlate well with the changes in experimental surface roughness Ra, and the predictive Rpk, and bearing capacity BC parameters, respectively, evaluated using the Abbott–Firestone curves and Kragelsky–Kombalov formula. The wear losses after the long-term (45 min) tests are in good correlation with the reciprocal surface microhardness HV and with the WL and WP wear parameters, respectively, estimated using Archard–Rabinowicz formula and complex roughness-and-strength approach. The observed HV increase is supported by nanotwins (LHT), by dense dislocation nets (UIT), and by dislocation cells/nanograins fixed with fine carbides (LHT + UIT) formed in the surface layers of the steel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]