Tribological Behavior of a Selective Laser Melted CoCrMo Alloy under Different Heat Treatment, Loading, and Sliding Conditions

Selective laser melted (SLM) CoCrMo alloy holds promise in various biomedical and industrial applications, requiring exceptional tribological properties to withstand contact interactions and wear. Despite this, research on SLM-CoCrMo tribology remains relatively unexplored. This study presents a comprehensive comparative analysis, evaluating the impact of heat treatments, specifically at 800 °C/2 h, 1150 °C/2 h, and hot isostatic pressing (HIP), under varying load levels (2 N, 5 N, and 7 N) and sliding conditions (single way or reciprocating). The results demonstrate that different combinations of load, sliding condition, and heat treatment induce diverse wear mechanisms, significantly influencing the alloy’s tribological performance. Specifically, the as-built (AB) condition showed the highest wear rates at 2 N, whereas HIP-treated samples exhibited a significant reduction in wear rate compared to AB specimens at 7 N, under both reciprocating and single-way sliding conditions. Among the investigated conditions, HIP treatment emerged as the optimal compromise between wear resistance and mechanical properties. The findings provide valuable insights for optimizing the tribological behavior of the SLM-CoCrMo alloy, especially in load-bearing biomedical applications such as joint implants and prosthetics components.