Influence of laser-processed volcanic edge rectangular textures on the water lubrication performance of UHMWPE

Abstract Volcanic edge textures form when processing concave textures on the surfaces of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) flat specimens using a CO 2 laser due to thermal effect. This paper investigates the influence of the arrangement and density of volcanic edge textures on the tribological performance of UHMWPE water-lubricated thrust bearings, along with the morphological evolution of these textures under wear. Results indicate that under heavy load conditions, volcanic edge textures reduce the contact area between the friction pairs, enhance the hydrodynamic effect, and contribute to a reduction in friction torque compared to non-textured specimens. For a constant texture area, as the number of textures increases, the water-lubricated friction coefficient initially increases and then decreases. At low speeds or under heavy loads, specimens with a single radial rectangular texture connected to the internal water tank exhibit the lowest and most stable friction coefficients. For the same texture configuration, specimens with 15 rectangular textures distributed circumferentially demonstrate the lowest friction coefficient and minimal wear height.