Microstructure, hardness and stress in melted zone of 42CrMo steel by wide-band laser surface melting

Using laser surface melting (LSM) of a roller, to obtain the desired distribution of the microstructure, hardness and residual stresses with minimum distortion, is essential in order to improve machining efficiency and to achieve reliable service performance. In this study, a 3D finite element model has been developed to simulate the wide-band LSM process and predict the thermal and mechanical properties in the melted zone. The microstructure evolution, hardness distribution and stress field in the melted zone with different laser power were simulated. With the increase of the laser power from 3000 to 3800 W, the width and the depth of the laser melted layer increase, while the laser power has a little effect on the martensite contents, which exceed 90% in the melt-hardened zone. It greatly affects the mechanical properties in the melt-hardened zone with its volumetric expansion effect and the hardness increases by 2-3 times. The residual stress distributed within the melt-hardened zone is always of the compressive type. The amplitude of compressive stress exists in the transition region, and the amplitude of von Mises stress within the heat affected-zone (HAZ) decreases with the increase in laser power. The accuracy of the developed finite element simulation strategy is validated for phase proportion and hardness distributions through the wide-band LSM on roller steel with proper instrumentation for data measurement. This agreement is encouraging.     

The resistance to wear and corrosion of laser-cladding Al2O3 ceramic coating on Mg alloy

The paper presents a study on the preparation of Al₂O₃ ceramic coating on AZ91HP Mg alloy by laser remelting plasma-sprayed coating. It was found that after laser remelting, the coating exhibited obvious layer-like characteristics due to influence of temperature distribution, thermophysical parameters and layer thickness. According to the microstructural difference, the coating can be divided into the melted zone with the α-Al₂O₃ column-like crystal, the sintered zone with flock-like structure, the residual plasma-sprayed zone with loosened structure. Because of the dense column-like crystal, the hardness, wear and corrosion resistance of the laser remelted coating are much higher than those of the plasma-sprayed coating and as-received Mg alloy.     

Effect of cw-CO2 laser surface treatment on structure and properties of AZ91 magnesium alloy

In the study, samples of AZ91 magnesium alloy were subjected to a surface remelting treatment by means of a continuous wave (cw) CO₂ laser. The scope of the investigation included both macro- and microstructural examination, hardness measurements, and wear resistance tests. The investigation has shown that remelting treatment leads to a strong refinement of structure in the surface layer and a more even distribution of phases. Fine α-phase dendrites have been observed to dominate in the remelting zone. The dendritic arm spacing in the laser treated surface was in the range of 1–2.5 μm. The structural changes triggered by remelting have contributed to an increase in the hardness and the wear resistance of AZ91 alloy. The microhardness of the remelted zone has increased to 71–93 HV_0.05 for single-strip remelting and to 84–107 HV_0.05 for multi-strip remelting in comparison with about ~60 HV_0.05 for untreated alloy. The friction coefficient has decreased from 0.375 for material w/o treatment to 0.311 for remelted material. SEM investigations of samples after tribological tests have revealed the presence of parallel grooves proving the occurrence of microploughing and micro cutting of the material during the tribological testing. The results of the conducted investigation have indicated a beneficial influence of the cw-CO₂ laser remelting treatment on the structure and properties of AZ91 alloy.     

Heat transfer modelling and stability analysis of selective laser melting

The process of direct manufacturing by selective laser melting basically consists of laser beam scanning over a thin powder layer deposited on a dense substrate. Complete remelting of the powder in the scanned zone and its good adhesion to the substrate ensure obtaining functional parts with improved mechanical properties. Experiments with single-line scanning indicate, that an interval of scanning velocities exists where the remelted tracks are uniform. The tracks become broken if the scanning velocity is outside this interval. This is extremely undesirable and referred to as the “balling” effect. A numerical model of coupled radiation and heat transfer is proposed to analyse the observed instability. The “balling” effect at high scanning velocities (above ∼20 cm/s for the present conditions) can be explained by the Plateau-Rayleigh capillary instability of the melt pool. Two factors stabilize the process with decreasing the scanning velocity: reducing the length-to-width ratio of the melt pool and increasing the width of its contact with the substrate.     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of selective laser melted magnesium

The effects of laser processing parameters on the microstructure and mechanical properties of selective laser-melted magnesium were investigated. The results show that the microstructure characteristics of the laser-melted samples are dependent on the grain size of SLM magnesium. The grains in the molten zone coarsen as the laser energy density increases. In addition, the average hardness values of the molten zone decreases significantly with an increase of the laser energy densities and then decreased slowly at a relatively high laser energy density irrespective of mode of irradiation. The hardness value was obtained from 0.59 to 0.95 GPa and corresponding elastic modulus ranging from 27 to 33 GPa. The present selective laser-melted magnesium parts are promising for biomedical applications since the mechanical properties are more closely matched with human bone than other metallic biomaterials.     

Concurrent laser welding and annealing exploiting robotically manipulated optical fibers

Present investigation reports on the effects of incorporating pre- and post-heating on the mechanical properties of laser-welded joints, in normal air condition. Two common types of steels, i.e. mild steel, and stainless steel were welded with Lumonic's MS 830 Nd³⁺:YAG laser machine, with an output capacity of 400 W. Due to the low integrated energy input required for laser welded joints, the welded region are often cooled too rapidly via conduction to the surrounding material and atmosphere, which leads to hardness discontinuities in the fusion and heat affected zone. The effects of in-process laser annealing on the mechanical properties and microstructure of laser-welded joints are important in any manufacturing operation. To improve the poor weld characteristics, this work investigates the use of automated dual-beam delivery system to implement a pre- or post-heating technique, simultaneously with the welding process. The results show that proper selection of the control parameters for the pre- or post-heating can reduce the hardness of the weld significantly and improve the welded joints mechanical properties, such as higher tensile strength and better durability.     

镍基非晶复合涂层激光制备及其纳米压痕测试

采用大功率半导体激光熔覆和重熔的工艺在低碳钢表面制备Ni-Fe-B-Si-Nb合金非晶复合涂层,并对所得涂层进行了纳米压痕性能测试。研究结果表明,当激光熔覆时激光功率为0.8kW,熔覆速度为0.36m/min,送粉速度为12g/min,重熔时激光功率为3.5kW,熔覆速度为8m/min,在低碳钢表面成功制备了Ni40.8Fe27.2B18Si10Nb4非晶复合涂层,涂层主要由非晶相和NbC颗粒相组成。纳米压痕测试结果表明经激光重熔后所得非晶复合涂层的显微硬度和弹性模量远远大于未重熔的熔覆层,并且也大于同成分大块非晶。     

Initial damage induced by thermal residual stress and microscopic failure analysis of carbon-fiber reinforced composite under shear loading

In order to study the mechanical properties and the progressive failure process of composite under shear loading, a representative volume element (RVE) of fiber random distribution was established, with two dominant damage mechanisms – matrix plastic deformation and interfacial debonding – included in the simulation by the extended Drucker–Prager model and cohesive zone model, respectively. Also, a temperature-dependent RVE has been set up to analyze the influence of thermal residual stress. The simulation results clearly reveal the damage process of the composites and the interactions of different damage mechanisms. It can be concluded that the in-plane shear fracture initiates as interfacial debonding and evolves as a result of interactions between interfacial debonding and matrix plastic deformation. The progressive damage process and final failure mode of in-plane shear model which are based on constitute are very consistent with the observed result under scanning electron microscopy of V-notched rail shear test. Also, a transverse shear model was established as contrast in order to comprehensively understand the mechanical properties of composite materials under shear loading, and the progressive damage process and final failure mode of composite under transverse shear loading were researched. Thermal residual stress changes the damage initiation locations and damage evolution path and causes significant decreases in the strength and fracture strain.     

Microstructures and mechanical properties of metallic NiCrBSi and composite NiCrBSi-WC layers manufactured via hybrid plasma/laser process

Thermal spraying is already used in industry to protect mechanical parts against wear and/or corrosion, but results are not always satisfactory due to porosity and microstructures. In this study, atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) and in situ laser irradiation by diode laser processes were combined to modify structural characteristics of metallic NiCrBSi and composite NiCrBSi-WC coatings. The microstructure evolution was studied with the chemical composition analysis by XRD and SEM coupled with EDS techniques. Instrumented nanoindentation tests were also conducted employing a Berkovich indenter. Moreover, the effect of the influence of the volume fraction of the reinforcing WC particles on the formation and mechanical performances of the layer was also investigated. Results show that in situ laser remelting induces the growth of a dendritic structure which strongly decreases the porosity of as-sprayed coatings, without solidification cracking (one of the major defects that can occur during the solidification of metallic or composite alloys) and improves the mechanical properties of the layer. Indeed, the layer properties such as hardness, elastic modulus, shear strength and wear rate are dependent on the percentage of WC particles in the mixture.     

激光重熔对等离子喷涂ZrO_2-20%Y_2O_3热障涂层隔热性能的影响

采用大气等离子喷涂(APS)技术在铝基体表面制备氧化锆(ZrO2-20%Y2O3,质量分数)热障涂层,并用脉冲激光对其进行重熔处理,研究了激光重熔对涂层组织形貌、物相转变和隔热性能的影响。研究结果表明激光的比能量对涂层的成型及性能有重要影响,过高的比能量会使涂层表面粗糙度增加,涂层成型变差。在选用合适的低比能量激光重熔条件下,扫描电镜观察结果表明经激光重熔可消除喷涂态涂层的孔隙和层状结构。对粉末和重熔前后的涂层进行了X射线衍射分析,结果表明喷涂及重熔过程中都没有发生相变;隔热试验结果表明重熔后涂层的隔热温度有所下降。     

Nanoindentation measurements on modified diamond-like carbon thin films

In the present study, we explored the effect of metallic interlayers (Cu and Ti) and indentation loads (5-20 mN) on the mechanical properties of plasma produced diamond-like carbon (DLC) thin films. Also a comparison has been made for mechanical properties of these films with pure DLC and nitrogen incorporated DLC films. Introduction of N in DLC led to a drastic decrease in residual stress (S) from 1.8 to 0.7 GPa, but with expenses of hardness (H) and other mechanical properties. In contrast, addition of Cu and Ti interlayers between substrate Si and DLC, results in significant decrease in S with little enhancement of hardness and other mechanical properties. Among various DLC films, maximum hardness 30.8 GPa is observed in Ti-DLC film. Besides hardness and elastic modulus, various other mechanical parameters have also been estimated using load versus displacement curves.     

Ultrahigh-strain-rate plastic deformation of a stainless-steel sheet with TiN coatings driven by laser shock waves

In this paper, a novel dynamic ultrahigh-strain-rate forming method driven by laser impact is reported. The technique is based on a mechanical, not thermal, effect. It is found that the ultrahigh-strain-rate is the most important feature for laser shock forming. Usually it is about 10⁷–10⁹ s^-1, two or more orders of magnitude higher than that of explosive forming, a method with the largest strain rate previously. Studies on the hardness and residual stress of the surfaces indicate that laser shock forming has some peculiarities other forming methods lack. It introduces strain hardening and compressive residual stresses on both surfaces of the metal sheet, resulting in an obvious improvement in fatigue and corrosion resistance. We also discover some non-linear plastic deformation characteristics in laser shock forming. PACS 42.62.Cf; 81.70.C; 62.20.-x; 81.40.Vw; 62.50.+p; 81.65.-b     

基于双相延迟模型的飞秒激光烧蚀金属模型

为了分析飞秒激光烧蚀过程,在双相延迟模型的基础上建立了双曲型热传导模型.模型中考虑了靶材的加热、蒸发和相爆炸,还考虑了等离子体羽流的形成和膨胀及其与入射激光的相互作用,以及光学和热物性参数随温度的变化.研究结果表明:等离子体屏蔽对飞秒激光烧蚀过程有重要的影响,特别是在激光能量密度较高时;两个延迟时间的比值对飞秒激光烧蚀过程中靶材的温度特性和烧蚀深度有较大的影响;飞秒激光烧蚀机制主要以相爆炸为主.飞秒激光烧蚀的热影响区域较小,而且热影响区域的大小受激光能量密度的影响较小.计算结果与文献中实验结果的对比表明基于双相延迟模型的飞秒激光烧蚀模型能有效对飞秒激光烧蚀过程进行模拟.     

不锈钢焊接件不等强度激光冲击与应力腐蚀试验研究

针对不锈钢焊接接头应力及组织分布不均匀,容易导致应力腐蚀开裂的问题,采用不等强度激光冲击波对316奥氏体不锈钢焊接接头进行处理。通过应力腐蚀试验、残余应力测试及微观组织分析,研究了激光冲击强化对焊接接头应力腐蚀抗性的影响及其作用机理。试验结果表明:激光冲击强化将焊接件的应力腐蚀断裂时间提高了33.48%。激光冲击波的作用,在焊接接头部位引入了高数值的残余压应力,一方面消除了热影响导致的残余拉应力,同时抵消了拉伸工作载荷的作用,降低局部应力梯度,从而延缓表面钝化膜的破裂;另一方面,激光冲击使焊接接头不同区域之间的微观组织均匀和细化,提高了微裂纹萌生的条件,降低了金属发生阳极溶解的可能性。两种因素的共同作用,使得不锈钢焊接接头的抗应力腐蚀性能显著增强。     

基于神经网络的选区激光熔化残余应力预测

当前对选区激光熔化产生的残余应力预测方法主要为数值模拟,但由于设备、环境、粉末等因素差异性较大,且具有较大不确定性,很难建立符合实际情况的数值模拟模型。利用神经网络在预测多变量、复杂线性信息处理方面能力强的特点,建立适用于预测316L不锈钢粉末选区激光熔化残余应力的模型。使用选区激光熔化技术打印相当数量的不同工艺参数的试样,采用超声波检测其内部残余应力作为神经网络的训练样本,并使用这些样本对神经网络模型进行训练,获得具有预测功能的神经网络,将验证样本的工艺参数输入神经网络,计算出预测的残余应力值,与实际检测值进行对比。实验结果表明,预测值与实际测量值偏差较小,验证了所提方法的有效性。采用神经网络预测残余应力的方法,可以快速确定不同选区激光熔化工艺参数对应的残余应力,避免设置残余应力较高的工艺参数,有效缩短制备高质量工件试样的周期,降低成本。     

Laser controlled melting of pre-treated zirconia surface

Laser treatment of pre-prepared zirconia surface is carried out. The pre-prepared surface, prior to laser treatment, consists of 50 μm carbon film and 7% titanium carbide particles, which are imbedded in the carbon film. The microstructural and morphological changes in the laser treated surface layer are examined using optical and scanning electron microscopes, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The fracture toughness of the laser treated surface is measured and the residual stress formed at the surface vicinity is determined from the X-ray diffraction technique. It is found that the microhardness of the laser treated surface increased slightly due to the dense layer formed at the surface vicinity. However, the laser treatment process reduces the fracture toughness of the surface due to improved surface hardness and the residual stress formed in the surface vicinity.     

Effect of complex inter-site couplings on the excitation energy transfer in the FMO complex

The laser irradiation effects on surface, structural and mechanical properties of zirconium (Zr) have been investigated. For this purpose, Zr samples were irradiated with Excimer (KrF) laser (λ ≈ 248 nm, τ ≈ 18 ns, repetition rate ≈ 30 Hz). The irradiation was performed under the ambient environment of oxygen gas at filling pressure of 20 torr by varying laser fluences ranging from 3.8 to 5.1 cm^-2. The surface and structural modification of irradiated targets was investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffractometer (XRD). In order to explore the mechanical properties of irradiated Zr, the tensile testing and Vickers micro hardness testing techniques were employed. SEM analysis reveals the grain growth on the irradiated Zr surfaces for all fluences. However, the largest sized grains are grown for the lowest fluence of 3.8 J cm^?2. With increasing fluence from 4.3 to 5.1 J cm^?2, the compactness and density of grains increase whereas their size decreases. XRD analysis reveals the appearance of new phases of ZrO₂ and Zr₃O. The variation in the peak intensity is observed to be anomalous whereas decreasing trend in the crystallite size and residual stresses has been observed with increasing fluence. Micro hardness analysis reveals the increasing trend in surface hardness with increasing fluence. The tensile testing exhibits the increasing trend of yield stress (YS), decreasing trend of percentage elongation and anomalous behaviour of ultimate tensile strength with increasing fluence.     

Formation of titanium carbide layer by laser alloying with a light-transmitting resin

The weight reduction of mechanical components is becoming increasingly important, especially in the transportation industry, as fuel efficiency continues to improve. Titanium and titanium alloys are recognized for their outstanding potential as lightweight materials with high specific strength. Yet they also have poor tribological properties that preclude their use for sliding parts. Improved tribological properties of titanium would expand the application of titanium into different fields.Laser alloying is an effective process for improving surface properties such as wear resistance. The process has numerous advantages over conventional surface modification techniques. Many researchers have reported the usefulness of laser alloying as a technique to improve the wear resistance of titanium. The process has an important flaw, however, as defects such as cracks or voids tend to appear in the laser-alloyed zone.Our group performed a novel laser-alloying process using a light-transmitting resin as a source for the carbon element. We laser alloyed a surface layer of pure titanium pre-coated with polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and investigated the microstructure and wear properties. A laser-alloyed zone was formed by a reaction between the molten titanium and thermal decomposition products of PMMA at the interface between the substrate and PMMA. The cracks could be eliminated from the laser-alloyed zone by optimizing the laser alloying conditions. The surface of the laser-alloyed zone was covered with a titanium carbide layer and exhibited a superior sliding property and wear resistance against WC-Co.     

Laser surface remelting of plasma sprayed nanostructured Al2O3-13wt%TiO2 coatings on titanium alloy

Plasma sprayed nanostructured coatings were successfully fabricated on a titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) substrate using the as-prepared nanostructured Al₂O₃-13wt%TiO₂ feedstock. A CO₂ laser was used to remelt the plasma sprayed coatings. The effects of laser remelting on the phase constituents, microstructure and properties of the ceramic coatings were investigated. The laser remelted coatings (LRmC) possessed a much denser and more homogenous structure and excellent metallurgical bonding to the substrate. The average porosity of the LRmC was reduced to 0.9%, compared with 6.2% of the as-sprayed coatings. The net-like structure in the as-prepared feedstock remained in the coatings before and after laser remelting. The metastable γ-Al₂O₃ phase in the as-sprayed coatings transformed to stable α-Al₂O₃ during laser remelting. The LRmC could remain nanostructure. The microhardness of the coatings was enhanced to 1000-1400 HV_0.3 after laser remelting, which was much higher than that of the plasma sprayed coatings and 2-3 times higher that of the substrate. Significant decreases in surface roughness were also found in the LRmC.     

PLD方法制备的超硬非晶碳薄膜研究

 用脉冲激光沉积在不同条件下制备非晶碳超硬薄膜，研究了非晶碳超硬薄膜的表面形貌、结构、应力、硬度以及能谱等。原子力显微镜和扫描电镜图像显示，薄膜表面平整、致密且光滑,均方根粗糙度最大为0.877 nm。在高激光重复频率、高激光通量条件下，薄膜有很大的应力，致使膜层褶皱甚至破裂，小角X射线衍射表明薄膜为非晶态且最大残余应力达30 GPa以上,但300 ℃温度的原位退火可以有效降低残余应力；纳米压痕测试表明薄膜硬度大于20 GPa，弹性模量大于200 GPa；X射线光电子能谱表明薄膜中sp3的含量在39%~53%之间变化，并且与激光通量成正比。