{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,23]],"date-time":"2026-10-23T21:07:35Z","timestamp":1792789655397,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"18","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,20]],"date-time":"2026-09-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1789862400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Science Committee of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan","award":["BR24992879"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["BR24992879"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/05tyne317","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"crossref"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Materials"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The aim of this study was to comparatively evaluate the effects of electrolytic-plasma surface hardening (EPSH) and laser surface hardening (LSH) on the microstructure, phase state, microhardness, and friction behavior of low-carbon Steel 20. EPSH was performed using a two-stage regime of 320 V for 3 s followed by 200 V for 40 s and a thermocyclic regime of 320 V for 2 s, 200 V for 2 s, and 50 V for 2 s repeated for five cycles. LSH was carried out at a scanning speed of 7 mm\/s and 75% of the maximum laser power (approximately 2250 W) using single- and double-pass treatments. The modified layers were characterized by SEM, XRD, microhardness measurements, and dry sliding tribological tests. EPSH produced the strongest hardening response, reaching approximately 600 HV with a hardened-layer depth of 70\u2013100 \u03bcm. Double-pass LSH increased the near-surface microhardness to approximately 460 HV. Phase analysis revealed Fe1\u2212xO after EPSH, Fe3O4 after single-pass LSH, and Fe1\u2212xO, Fe3O4, and Fe2O3 after double-pass LSH. All treatments reduced the coefficient of friction compared with untreated steel. Overall, EPSH provided deeper and stronger hardening, whereas LSH produced more localized surface modification and oxidation.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ma19184007","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,21]],"date-time":"2026-09-21T17:23:17Z","timestamp":1790011397000},"page":"4007","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Comparative Study of Microstructure, Phase Composition, Hardness, and Tribological Behavior of Low-Carbon Steel After Electrolytic-Plasma and Laser Surface Hardening"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"19","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1924-1459","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Laila","family":"Sulyubayeva","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Center Surface Engineering and Tribology, Sarsen Amanzholov East Kazakhstan University, Ust-Kamenogorsk 070000, Kazakhstan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"conceptualization","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"validation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"project-administration","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0239-5849","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Dastan","family":"Buitkenov","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Center Surface Engineering and Tribology, Sarsen Amanzholov East Kazakhstan University, Ust-Kamenogorsk 070000, Kazakhstan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"methodology","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"formal-analysis","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"funding-acquisition","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"supervision","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"data-curation","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0519-3222","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Almasbek","family":"Maulit","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"PlasmaScience LLP, Oskemen 070018, Kazakhstan"},{"name":"Research School of Physical and Chemical Sciences, Shakarim University, Semey 071412, Kazakhstan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"software","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"validation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-original-draft","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-7644-4527","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Balym","family":"Alibekova","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Center Surface Engineering and Tribology, Sarsen Amanzholov East Kazakhstan University, Ust-Kamenogorsk 070000, Kazakhstan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"resources","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-3136-0535","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sanzhar","family":"Bolatov","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Center Surface Engineering and Tribology, Sarsen Amanzholov East Kazakhstan University, Ust-Kamenogorsk 070000, Kazakhstan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"investigation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"visualization","vocabulary":"credit"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"344","DOI":"10.1016\/j.surfcoat.2016.06.045","article-title":"Analysis of temperature and surface hardening of low carbon thin steel sheets using Yb-fiber laser","volume":"302","author":"Sarkar","year":"2016","journal-title":"Surf. 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