The effects of ball burnishing on tribological behaviour in dry reciprocating motion have not yet been studied. This work attempts to fill this gap. The steel disc samples after milling were ball burnished. Due to ball burnishing, the average surface height decreased to 85% and the microhardness increased to 20%. Burnishing also generated the compressive residual stresses that were responsible factor to enhance the hardness of the steel surface. Trbological tests were carried out in reciprocating motion under dry sliding conditions. A 10 mm diameter ceramic ball from WC material contacted the steel disc. Ball burnishing was found to lead to improvements in disc wear and friction of the sliding pair. The maximum decreases in friction coefficient and wear volume compared to the milled sample were 39% and 85%, respectively. Samples of the lowest amplitude and high microhardness led to the highest behaviour.
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