Abstract
<jats:p>The paper presents the results of studies on determining the size of heat-hardening zones with a rectangular spot of a semiconductor laser, microhardness and tribotechnical properties of 55 steel samples. Friction and wear tests were performed for sliding and rolling friction. Samples of 18HGT cemented steel were used as reference materials. It is found that the depth of the laser quenching zone and the microhardness at specific radiation energies of 9 and 6 joule/mm2 is 1.53 and 0.97 mm, 9000-11000 and 7000-7600 MPa, respectively. The minimum moments of friction during sliding of the steel counterbody from the specific load were obtained for samples after laser thermal hardening at a higher specific radiation energy. The depth of wear tracks during rolling of balls made of SHH15 steel for steel samples 55 thermally-hardened with a higher specific energy of radiation was 1.5 times less than that of cemented samples made of 18HGT steel.</jats:p>