Bionic surface texturing of polycrystalline diamond compact for enhanced tribological performance: A seashell-inspired strategy

Inspired by the drag-reducing and wear-resistant morphology of seashells, this study designs and optimizes bionic concentric circle and grid textures on polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) surfaces to enhance tribological performance under extreme diamond thrust bearing conditions. Using orthogonal experiments, optimal parameters are identified: concentric circles (1000 μm spacing, 35 μm width, 48 μm depth) reduce friction by 8.30 % (COF: 0.0608) and post-test temperature by 15.62 % (47 °C), while grids (60° angle, 35 μm width, 28 μm depth) achieve 4.68 % friction reduction (COF: 0.0632) and 11.31 % cooling. Both textures mitigate three-body abrasion and thermal wear via debris entrapment and lubrication enhancement, with concentric circles outperforming grids. This biomimetic strategy offers a practical solution to extend diamond bearing lifespan in harsh downhole environments. • Bioinspired seashell textures were successfully applied to polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) surfaces, demonstrating enhanced tribological performance through biomimetic design. • Two optimized bionic patterns (concentric and grid) were developed with systematic parameter optimization achieving significant friction reduction. • In terms of lubrication and friction reduction capabilities, concentric circles outperform grid-patterned textures.