TRIBOLOGY AND HARDNESS OF EXCIMER-LASER-PROCESSED TITANIUM LAYERS ON CUBIC ZIRCONIA

We have examined the wear and friction and surface hardness of excimer -laser-processed Ti layers on cubic zirconia substrates. The film exhi bits a complex array of cracking following processing that is related to the crystallographic orientation of the substrate. The friction bet ween the laser-processed layers and both steel and ruby pins is reduce d by approximately one-third relative to that of untreated zirconia. I n the untreated case, wear is characterized by pin wear and debris, wh ereas the laser-processed layer wears by film transfer to the pin. The surface hardness of the processed layer is lower than that of both th e untreated zirconia and the deposited Ti film. Indentation tests indi cate that the surface is brittle following processing.