Microstructural and tribological performance of Ti6Al4V alloy modified by laser surface texturing Academic Article in Scopus uri icon

abstract

  • This study investigates the microstructural and tribological response of Ti6Al4V alloy subjected to laser surface texturing (LST). The experiments employed a diode-pumped solid-state laser operating at 21.25 and 23.75 W of laser power and marking speeds ranging from 50 to 150 mm/s, corresponding to energy densities (Et) of 0.142¿0.475 J/mm. The textured and untextured samples were characterized using SEM¿EDS, XRD, nanoindentation, profilometry, and pin-on-disk tribological testing in artificial saliva. Results revealed that hardness decreased with increasing scanning speed due to reduced energy input per unit length, whereas higher Et values partially recovered hardness through greater localized heating. XRD and EDS analyses confirmed a phase transformation from ß-Ti to ¿-Ti, accompanied by the formation of an anatase TiO2 oxide layer. Tribological testing demonstrated that LST significantly enhanced wear resistance, particularly at Et = 0.425 J/mm, where a finer and more uniform surface morphology minimized surface damage. These findings highlight the critical role of surface microstructure and oxide formation in controlling the hardness and tribological performance of laser-textured Ti6Al4V alloy. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2025.

publication date

  • January 1, 2026