Microstructure and wear properties of TiCN/Ti coatings on titanium alloy by laser cladding

Titanium carbide nitride (TiCN) reinforced Ti coating was fabricated on the surface of Ti–6Al–4V alloy by laser cladding method. Microstructure and wear properties at the surface of the coating in atmosphere were investigated. Three zones can be distinguished of the coating: the clad zone (CZ), the heat affected zone (HAZ) and the substrate. The clad zone is composed of TiCN dendrites, TiO₂ and Ti. A metallurgical bonding between the coating and the substrate was obtained. The microhardness and wear resistance of the TiCN/Ti coating are significantly improved. The average hardness of the coating is about 3 to 6 times of that of the substrate. The friction coefficients of the substrate and the coating are 0.48 and 0.34 respectively. The friction coefficient of the Ti–6Al–4V substrate was insensitive to the normal load, while that of the cladded TiCN/Ti coating was very sensitive to the normal load. The wear mass losses of the cladded samples are much lower than that of the substrate whatever the normal load is.     

Effect of local curvature of the coating-substrate interface on deformation and fracture of ceramic coatings under uniaxial tension

Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy have been applied to study the fracture of SiAlN coatings on Cu substrates under uniaxial tension. It is shown that coating spalling occurs in the zones of local curvature of the SiAlN-Cu interface which form due to dislocation glide in the substrate. Preliminary ion bombardment of the substrate suppresses dislocation-induced kinking at the coating-substrate interface and increases the adhesive strength of the coatings, thus preventing their edge delamination. At the same time, the wavy coatingsubstrate interface resulting from ion bombardment gives rise to normal stresses that lead to the buckling and spalling of the coatings in the zones of positive local curvature of the interface.     

40Cr钢表面激光熔覆层的磨损性能

 为研究模具钢熔覆层的磨损性能,采用铁基粉在40Cr钢表面进行激光熔覆,以激光熔覆层为上试样,GCr15钢珠为下试样,采用HT－500磨损试验机进行摩擦磨损试验,并与40Cr基体的磨损性能相对比。利用表面形貌仪测量磨痕深度和宽度。研究结果表明：载荷小于250 g时,相同载荷下基体的摩擦系数大。载荷小于300 g时,随磨损时间延长,熔覆层、基体的摩擦系数都随着载荷增加而减小。当载荷为300 g时,基体的摩擦系数在0.563～0.589之间变化,平均值为0.576,且随时间逐渐升高,耐磨性变差;熔覆层的磨擦系数在0.431～0.457之间变化,平均摩擦系数为0.444,磨痕深度和宽度分别是0.65 mm和1.096 μm,且随时间逐渐下降,表现了良好的耐磨性能。当载荷增加到500 g时,平均摩擦系数和磨痕深度比300 g时分别增加了75％和47倍,且摩擦系数逐渐升高,磨损性能下降。     

Effects of different binders on microstructure and phase composition of hydroxyapatite Nd-YAG laser clad coatings

The laser clad coating technique can help to produce metallurgical bonding with high bonding strength between the coating layer and the substrate, which has been gradually applied for hydroxyapatite (HA) coating on metallic substrates. In this study, HA powder is mixed with two different binders, namely water glass (WG) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), respectively, and is then clad on Ti-6Al-4V substrates using an Nd:YAG laser system under various processing conditions. The microstructure, chemical composition and hardness of the coating layer and transition layer of the various samples are then systematically explored. The experimental results show that the coating layers of the various samples all contain both cellular dendrites and rod-like piled structures, while the transition layers contain only cellular dendrites. For all samples, the coating layer consists mostly of CaTiO₃, Ca₂P₂O₇, CaO and HA phases, whereas the transition layer contains primarily CaTiO₃, Ca₂P₂O₇, Ti₃P, Ti and HA phases. In addition, the transition layer of the WG samples also contains SiO₂ and Si₂Ti phases. In all of the specimens, the transition layer has a higher average hardness than the substrate or coating layer. Moreover, the transition layer in the WG sample is harder than that in the PVA sample.     

铁基合金激光熔覆层高温润滑磨损性能

 为提高40Cr合金钢的表面耐磨性,采用预置激光熔覆法在40Cr基体表面制备铁基合金涂层, 利用扫描电镜观察分析熔覆层显微组织形貌,用显微硬度仪测试熔覆层截面显微硬度,用摩擦磨损试验机测定在润滑条件下基体、熔覆层的摩擦系数随温度变化的规律。研究结果表明:熔覆层与基体实现良好冶金结合,熔覆层横截面微观组织呈现平面晶、树枝晶和胞状晶分布;熔覆层硬度值介于617.5~926.6 HV0.2之间,基体硬度介于205.2~278.2 HV0.2之间;在200 ℃以下,熔覆层摩擦系数在磨程中趋于平稳,在0.1附近轻微波动,小于基体平均摩擦系数;当温度超过200 ℃,油膜分解,引发润滑失效,磨损方式向干摩擦转化,磨损机理从微切削磨损主导向粘着磨损、磨粒磨损和氧化磨损复合磨损方式转化。     

Numerical simulation of powder transport behavior in laser cladding with coaxial powder feeding

Laser cladding with coaxial powder feeding is one of the new processes applied to produce well bonding coating on the component to improve performance of its surface. In the process, the clad material is transported by the carrying gas through the coaxial nozzle, generating gas-powder flow. The powder feeding process in the coaxial laser cladding has important influence on the clad qualities. A 3D numerical model was developed to study the powder stream structure of a coaxial feeding nozzle. The predicted powder stream structure was well agreed with the experimental one. The validated model was used to explore the collision behavior of particles in the coaxial nozzle, as well as powder concentration distribution. It was found that the particle diameter and restitution coefficient greatly affect the velocity vector at outlet of nozzle due to the collisions, as well as the powder stream convergence characteristics below the nozzle. The results indicated a practical approach to optimize the powder stream for the coaxial laser cladding.     

Composition design and laser cladding of Ni-Zr-Al alloy coating on the magnesium surface

The cluster line criterion was used for optimized design of a Ni-Zr-Al alloy used as coating on the AZ91HP magnesium alloy by laser cladding. Results show that the coating mainly consists of an amorphous, two ternary intermetallic phases with Ni₁₀Zr₇ and Ni₂₁Zr₈ type structures resulting in high hardness, good wear resistance and corrosion resistance. The interface between the clad layer and the substrate has good metallurgical bond.     

Effects of Interface Structures on the Application Properties of Ni/Al Clad Composite

The Ni/Al clad metal composite can be applied for the ultrasonic welding of nickel and aluminum structures for lithium-ion cell packaging. The roll bonding Ni/Al clad sheets with 0.15 mm thickness were produced and the effects of interface microstructures and phase transformation on the application properties of such composites are studied in this investigation. The results show that the interface of Ni and Al forms a jagged, interlocking pattern at the rolling state but not a metallurgical bonding. During the annealing process, the first formed Al₃Ni phase in the interface of Ni and Al is beneficial to their bonding together but the sequently formed Al₃Ni₂ phase results in the formation of cracks and the separation of the Ni/Al layers. The bonding mechanism changes to metallurgical bonding with the formation of such phases. The Ni/Al clad sheet acquires good bending endurance, stable welding strength and suitable electrical resistivity with annealing from 425 to 475°C for 1 h.     

Laser ultrasonic characterization of adhesive bonds between epoxy coating and aluminum substrate

Nanosecond pulsed laser irradiation through transparent epoxy bonded to aluminum substrate excites wide-band ultrasonic waves at the bonded interface. The normal displacements on the rear surface of aluminum produced by the direct and multi-reflected longitudinal waves in the coating layer are detected by a laser interferometer. The amplitude of the reflected signal depends on the properties of the coating/substrate interface, which is described by terms of the interfacial stiffness using a spring boundary model. The waveforms at the epicenter versus interfacial stiffness are simulated and found to be in good agreement with experimental results. The relation between the interfacial stiffness and the amplitude ratio of the reflected and direct waves is thus established. An image of amplitude ratio of a specimen (null 10 mm) is obtained from the epicenter waveforms recorded by a laser ultrasonic scanning system, which shows the distribution of bond quality on the bonding interface.     

Toughening of Fe-based laser-clad alloy coating

An investigation is reported on crack-free laser clad Fe-based alloy by use of biaxial powder feeding shielded with argon gas. The microstructure and phase structure of the coating were studied, and mechanical properties were analyzed through hardness, tension strength and wear resistance of the coating. Microstructure analysis showed that there was retained austenite with spherical particles distributed therein in the interdendritic and nearby grain boundary regions. The mechanical test results showed that net-like distributed retained austenite in the interdendritic region had certain toughening effect through blunting crack-tip. Under wear condition of high sliding speed and high loading, the wear resistance of the coating with net-like retained austenite was much higher than that of the coating with some discontinuous carbide network or carbide blocks. The results showed that toughening of laser clad Fe-based alloy with high hardness over 850 HV could be achieved by modifying interdendritic phases from net-like carbide to net-like austenite with spherical particles.     

Development of copper coatings on ceramic powder by electroless technique

Electroless (EL) coating technique is one of the elegant ways of coating by controlling the temperature and pH of the coating bath in which there is no usage of electric current. EL nano-copper coating on ceramic particles of micron size is not reported. In this investigation, ceramic powders of ∼100 μm size have been coated with copper by EL technique in the pH and temperature ranges of 12-13.5 and 60-85 °C, respectively. The optimization of EL copper bath has been evaluated through the combination of process parameters like pH and temperature. The optimized value of pH is found to be 12.5 and temperature as 75 °C. The coated and uncoated powders have been subjected to microstructural studies by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and the phases present have been analyzed by X-ray diffraction. An attempt has been made to understand the bonding mechanism of coating. The adherence with the substrate is attributed to the chemical and mechanical bonding at the interface. A model has been suggested for the mechanical bonding effect at the interface.     

Microstructure and tribological properties of TiAg intermetallic compound coating

TiAg intermetallic compound coating has been in situ synthesized successfully on pure Ti substrate by laser cladding using Ag powder as the precursor. It has been found that the prepared coating mainly comprised TiAg and Ti phases. The high resolution transmission electron microscopy results further conform the existence of TiAg intermetallic compound in the prepared coating. The magnified high resolution transmission electron microscopy images shown that the laser cladding coating contains TiAg nanocrystalline with the size of about 4 nm. Tribological properties of the prepared TiAg intermetallic compound coating were systematically evaluated. It was found that the friction coefficient and wear rate was closely related to the normal load and sliding speed, i.e., the friction coefficient of the prepared TiAg intermetallic compound coating decreased with increasing normal load and sliding speed. The wear rate of the TiAg intermetallic compound coating decreased rapidly with increasing sliding speed, while the wear rate increased as the normal load increased.     

Analysis of the interface between a pulsed laser deposited calcium phosphate coating and a titanium alloy substrate

Calcium phosphate coatings deposited on titanium alloy are intended to add a bioactive surface to medical implants. This work presents the characterisation of the interface between Ti-6Al-4V and a crystalline calcium phosphate coating obtained by pulsed laser deposition, with a KrF excimer laser, at 575 °C and under a 45 Pa water-vapour atmosphere. The coating–substrate system was studied by secondary-ion mass spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results show that the deposition process promotes the interdiffusion of substrate elements into the coating and coating elements into the substrate oxide layer. Thus, a graded layer of mixed calcium phosphate and amorphous titanium oxide is formed. For the substrate, a hydroxyapatite coating acts more as a barrier for oxygen incoming from a gas than as an oxygen source during deposition. Moreover, oxygen diffusion into the substrate occurs. Thus, the content of oxygen of this oxide layer diminishes with depth. When the oxygen concentration is low enough it is incorporated in solid solution in the titanium alloy . PACS 81.15.Fg; 68.55.-a; 87.68.+z     

Development and characterization of laser surface cladding (Ti,W)C reinforced Ni–30Cu alloy composite coating on copper

To improve the wear resistance of copper components, laser surface cladding (LSC) was applied to deposit (Ti,W)C reinforced Ni–30Cu alloy composite coating on copper using a cladding interlayer of Ni–30Cu alloy by Nd:YAG laser. The microstructure and phases of the composite coating were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray energy dispersive microanalysis (EDX). Microhardness tester and pin-on-disc wear tester were employed to evaluate the hardness and dry-sliding wear resistance. The results show that crack-free composite coating with metallurgical bonding to the copper substrate is obtained. Phases identified in the (Ti,W)C-reinforced Ni–30Cu alloy composite layer are composed of TiWC₂ reinforcements and (Ni,Cu) solid solution. TiWC₂ reinforcements are distributed uniformly in the (Ni,Cu) solid solution matrix with dendritic morphology in the upper region and with particles in the mid-lower region. The microhardness and wear properties of the composite coating are improved significantly in comparison to the as-received copper substrate due to the addition of 50 wt% (Ti,W)C multicarbides.     

涂层界面结合强度检测研究(Ⅱ)：涂层结合界面应力检测系统

利用X射线衍射技术(XRD)测试了涂层及其基体材料的应力及其变化规律，建立了一种涂层结合界面应力检测系统，进行界面结合状态的检测研究.利用涂层从基体脱粘前后的界面应力变化量，结合涂层材料的物性参数和涂层-基体系统温度场参数，用涂层残余应力衍射峰来表征涂层与基体的结合强度，创立一种研究检测涂层结合强度理论的实验新方法，适用于各种热障涂层的界面结合强度测量. 关键词： X射线衍射法(XRD) 界面结合强度 涂层 残余应力     

Corrosion protection of Mg/Al alloys by thermal sprayed aluminium coatings

The protective features of thermal sprayed Al-coatings applied on AZ31, AZ80 and AZ91D magnesium/aluminium alloys were evaluated in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution by electrochemical and gravimetric measurements. The changes in the morphology and corrosion behaviour of the Al-coatings induced by a cold-pressing post-treatment were also examined. The specimens were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis and low-angle X-ray diffraction. The as-sprayed Al-coatings revealed a high degree of porosity and poor corrosion protection, which resulted in galvanic acceleration of the corrosion of the magnesium substrates. The application of a cold-pressing post-treatment produced more compact Al-coatings with better bonding at the substrate/coating interface and higher corrosion resistance regardless of the nature of the magnesium alloy.     

Broad-beam laser cladding of Al-Cu alloy coating on AZ91HP magnesium alloy

The resistance to wear and corrosion of AZ91HP Mg alloy was improved by laser cladding Al-Cu alloy. It was found that the clad layer was characterized by AlCu₄ and Mg₁₇Al₁₂ grains embedded in a AlMg matrix. The bonding zone exhibited a white-light planar crystal band with thickness of 10-13 μm. The heat-affected zone formed a eutectic structure due to the Mg diffusion. The microhardness and wear resistance of the coating were improved due to the formation of the hard phases AlCu₄ and Mg₁₇Al₁₂. Owing to the formation of dense Al₂O₃ oxide film, the coating exhibited better corrosion resistance in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution.     

Laser cladding of copper with molybdenum for wear resistance enhancement in electrical contacts

Laser cladding of Mo on Cu has been attempted with the aim of enhancing the wear resistance and hence increasing the service life of electrical contacts made of Cu. In order to overcome the difficulties arising from the large difference in thermal properties and the low mutual solubility between Cu and Mo, Ni was introduced as an intermediate layer between Mo and Cu. The Ni and Mo layers were laser clad one after the other to form a sandwich layer of Mo/Ni/Cu. Excellent bonding between the clad layer and the Cu substrate was ensured by strong metallurgical bonding. The hardness of the surface of the clad layer is seven times higher than that of the Cu substrate. Pin-on-disc wear tests consistently showed that the abrasive wear resistance of the clad layer was also improved by a factor of seven as compared with untreated Cu substrate. The specific electrical contact resistance of the clad surface was about 5.6 × 10⁻⁷ Ω cm².     

3-D finite element modeling of laser cladding by powder injection: effects of laser pulse shaping on the process

This paper introduces a 3-D transient finite element model of laser cladding by powder injection to investigate the effects of laser pulse shaping on the process. The proposed model can predict the clad geometry as a function of time and process parameters including laser pulse shaping, travel velocity, laser pulse energy, powder jet geometry, and material properties. In the proposed strategy, the interaction between powder and melt pool is assumed to be decoupled and as a result, the melt pool boundary is first obtained in the absence of powder spray. Once the melt pool boundary is obtained, it is assumed that a layer of coating material is deposited on the intersection of the melt pool and powder stream in the absence of the laser beam in which its thickness is calculated based on the powder feedrate and elapsed time. The new melt pool boundary is then calculated by thermal analysis of the deposited powder layer, substrate and laser heat flux. The process is simulated for different laser pulse frequencies and energies. The results are presented and compared with experimental data. The quality of clad bead for different parameter sets is experimentally evaluated and shown as a function of effective powder deposition density and effective energy density. The comparisons show excellent agreement between the modeling and experimental results for cases in which a high quality clad bead is expected.     

Investigations on the Interface Microstructure of Stainless Steel/Aluminum Joints Created by the Surface Activated Bonding Method

Stainless steel and aluminum have been bonded by the surfaceactivated bonding method. Both transmission electron microscopy (TEM)and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) have been used to investigatethe interface microstructure of the as-bonded and annealed joints. Aperfect interface did not show any microcracks or porosity for theas-bonded joints. An 10 nm thick intermediate layer composed ofmainly silicon and certain amounts of oxygen and carbon was foundbetween stainless steel and aluminum by means of high resolutionelectron microscopy (HRTEM). The interface morphology of the jointsvaried gradually as the bonded joints are heated at elevatedtemperature. When heated to 573 K, individual precipitate-likefluctuation at the interface area was detected, with slightmodification of the interface morphology. Bulky intermetalliccompounds finally formed throughout the original interface boundarywhen heated to 873 K and contributed to the weakening of theinterface boundary of the joints.