Study on the laser treatment of electroless Ni-P-SiC composite coatings

Effect of the laser treatment on electroless Ni-P-SiC composite coatings was investigated. The microscopic structure, surface morphology, ingredient, and performance of the Ni-P-SiC composite coatings were synthetically analyzed by the use of X-ray diffraction apparatus, scanning electron microscope, energy distribution spectrometer, micro-hardness tester, wear tester and so on. It was found that the composite coatings did make crystalloblastic transformation after laser heating. Structural analysis confirmed that some new types of phase Ni2Si or Ni3Si compound would emerge in the Ni-P-SiC coatings after laser treatment. The micro-hardness measurement results showed that when the laser power was 450 W with scanning speed of 0.5 m/min, the hardness of the coating was superior to the coating obtained by the conventional furnace heating, and wear resistance of the composite coating after laser treating could also improve.     

Wear resistance of reactive plasma sprayed and laser remelted TiB2-TiC0.3N0.7 based composite coatings against medium carbon steel

Wear resistance of reactive plasma sprayed TiB₂-TiC_0.3N_0.7 based composite coatings and the as-sprayed coating with laser surface treatment was investigated using plate-on-plate tests. Wear tests were performed at different normal loads and sliding speeds under dry sliding conditions in air. The surface morphologies of counterparts against as-sprayed and laser remelted coatings were investigated. The microstructure and chemical composition of wear debris and coatings were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), respectively. The results show that the wear resistance of the laser remelted coating is improved significantly due to their increased microhardness and reduced flaws. The primary wear mechanism of the remelted coating is oxidation wear and its minor wear mechanisms are grain abrasion and fatigue failure during the course of wear test. In contrast, the primary wear mechanism of the as-sprayed coating is grain abrasion at the low sliding speed (370 rpm) and fatigue failure at the high sliding speed (549 rpm). The oxidation wear mechanism is a minor contributor for the as-sprayed coating.     

Using Raman spectroscopy to monitor surface finish and roughness of components manufactured by selective laser sintering

Selective laser sintering (SLS) is an additive manufacturing process used to realise fully functional component manufacture. Numerous parameters are used in the process to control variables such as laser power, scan speed, laser spot size and overlap of scan vectors. All of these parameters can dramatically alter the sintering process and therefore final component properties. This paper presents how Raman spectroscopy intensity effects, caused by the surface roughness of the components produced, can be used to monitor the degree of sintering between particles in the SLS process. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Microstructure and wear resistance of laser clad cobalt-based alloy multi-layer coatings

Multi-layer Co-based alloy (HMSP 2537) were deposited on Ni-based superalloy plate with a TJ-TL-T5000 type CO₂ laser. Sections of such coatings were examined to reveal their microstructure and phase composition using optical microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and X-ray diffractometer (XRD). The hardness and wear resistance of the coatings were tested. The results showed that the prime phase (γ-Co dendrite) and other phases, such as CrNi, Co₇W₆, and Cr₂₃C₆ existed in the coatings. Dendrite or cellular microstructures were observed perpendicular to the interface, and coarsening microstructures were obtained as more layers deposited. Dendrite paralleling to laser scan speed was also found near the top surface of the last layer. Fine microstructures of γ-Co dendrite and lamellar eutectic in inter-dendritic regions strengthened the coatings. Microhardness and wear resistance of the coatings were much higher than that of substrate but slightly decreased with layers increased.     

Laser direct micromilling of copper-based bioelectrode with surface microstructure array

The laser direct micromilling is proposed to fabricate the microstructure arrays on the surface of dry bioelectrodes using red copper material. Based on the principle of laser machining and SEM results, the forming process of microstructure arrays on the surface of copper-based bioelectrodes is discussed. When the process parameters are varied, the effect of process spacing, laser output power, scanning speed and number of scan on the morphology and geometrical dimension of microstructure array of bioelectrode is investigated. The results show that the cone surface microstructure can be fabricated when process spacing is set to 0.1 mm. Surface roughness of microstructure is greatly changed with different scanning speeds. The height of surface microstructure and recast layer is greatly increased with increasing laser output power. When smaller laser output power or less number of scan are selected, surface microstructure array is difficult to be fabricated. However, it is easy to generate the damage of surface microstructure when the larger output power or excessive scanning times are selected. Moreover, our developed copper-based bioelectrode shows a hydrophobic property when the spacings are selected in the range of 0.1–0.3 mm. Eventually, the optimized process parameters are obtained to fabricate the bioelectrode with cone microstructure array.     

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.     

316L不锈钢粉末光纤激光选区熔化特性

采用自行研制的光纤激光选区熔化快速成型设备,研究了选区激光熔化316L不锈钢粉末工艺参数、能量输入与样件致密度、表面形貌之间的关系以及微观组织特征。结果表明:扫描速度对成型效果影响最为显著;样件致密度随着激光能量密度提高有逐渐增大的趋势;能量密度作为选区激光熔化工艺的技术指标具有可操作性;表面形貌由激光功率与扫描速度比值所决定。深入探讨了能量输入、熔化凝固行为、激光功率与扫描速度比值与样件致密度、表面形貌的关系。结果表明:选区激光熔化凝固组织层内、层间熔合处为弧形,且为冶金结合,金相组织主要由柱状晶与等轴晶组成,层内靠近熔合线周围是柱状晶,而层间靠近熔合线附近主要是细小等轴晶,晶粒直径为1μm左右。     

Mechanical properties of the plasma-enhanced magnetron sputtering Si-C-N coatings

The mechanical properties of plasma-enhanced magnetron sputtering Si-C-N hard coatings with various compositions are characterized. The effect of chemical composition on the microstructure and properties of coating is investigated. The results show that the microstructure and mechanical properties of Si-C-N coatings are very sensitive to chemical composition. The nanocrystalline/amorphous composite structure is beneficial to the coating's mechanical properties. It also reveals that Si-C-N coating with low Si and high C concentrations has the highest hardness (≥40 GPa) and the best wear property with dry friction coefficient about 0.2.     

Study on Fe-Al-Si in situ composite coating fabricated by laser cladding

Fe-Al-Si in situ composite coating was fabricated on the surface of ASTM A283Gr.D steel by laser cladding with the preplaced powder. The influence of powder composition, laser power and scanning speed on microstructure, microhardness and wear resistance were investigated in this paper. The results show that Fe-Al-Si in situ composite coating with the good metallurgical bond mainly consists of Fe, SiO₂ and Al₂Fe₃Si₄ intermetallic compound. With the increase of laser power and scanning speed, the grain size of coating gets the minimum value. With the increase of laser power and scanning speed, microhardness and wear resistance both get the peak vaule, and their value are three times and 3.5 times those of substrate, respectively. The optimum parameters are followed as: the ratio of the preplaced composite powder: 8:1:1, laser power: 1600 W and scanning speed: 400 mm/min.     

Densification behavior of gas and water atomized 316L stainless steel powder during selective laser melting

The densification during selective laser melting (SLM) process is an important factor determining the final application of SLM-part. In the present work, the densifications under different processing conditions were investigated and the densification mechanisms were elucidated. It was found that the higher laser power, lower scan speed, narrower hatch spacing and thinner layer thickness could enable a much smoother melting surface and consequently a higher densification.The gas atomized powder possessed better densification than water atomized powder, due to the lower oxygen content and higher packing density of gas atomized powder. A large number of regular-shaped pores can be generated at a wider hatch spacing, even if the scanning track is continuous and wetted very well. The densification mechanisms were addressed and the methods for building dense metal parts were also proposed as follows: inhibiting the balling phenomenon, increasing the overlap ratio of scanning tracks and reducing the micro-cracks.     

The crack control during laser cladding by adding the stainless steel net in the coating

The generation of crack is one of the key problems which restrict the development of laser cladding technique. The purpose of this study is to control the cracks during laser cladding by adding a plastic phase—an austenitic stainless steel net in the coatings. With Ni-, Co- and Fe-based alloy powders, laser cladding experiments were carried out. The microstructure of the coatings and the stainless steel net was investigated. Experimental results show that the stainless steel net is partly melted and strongly bonded to the cladding powder materials and the substrate. Thus the crack density is significantly reduced. The amount of the reduction increases as the diameter of the stainless steel net increases. Without preheating the substrate, large area coatings which remain free of cracks can be achieved when adding the stainless steel net with appropriate diameter. The characteristics of the coatings were investigated and the results indicate that the hardness fluctuations of the coatings become larger and the wear resistance decreases when adding 316 stainless steel net.     

Si,Al对激光熔覆MoFeCrTiW高熵合金涂层组织性能的影响

为了提高材料表面的耐磨性和高温抗氧化性,利用激光熔覆技术在Q235钢表面制备了MoFeCrTiW高熵合金涂层,并采用X射线衍射仪(XRD)、扫描电镜(SEM)和磨损试验机等研究了Si,Al添加对高熵合金涂层组织、相结构、耐磨性和高温抗氧化性能的影响。结果表明:激光熔覆MoFeCrTiW高熵合金涂层组织为等轴晶,单独添加等物质的量的Si或Al时,涂层分别为共晶组织或树枝晶,同时添加等物质的量的Si和Al时,涂层组织为细小的等轴晶。各高熵合金涂层的主体相均为BCC相,随着Si,Al的添加,BCC相的晶格常数减小。添加等物质的量的Al有助于抑制涂层中金属间化合物的形成,使涂层耐磨性降低;添加等物质的量的Si则会形成含Si的金属间化合物和一些未知相,提高涂层耐磨性。激光熔覆MoFeCrTiW高熵合金涂层在800℃的抗氧化性较高,Si、Al的添加可使涂层的高温抗氧化性进一步提高。     

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.     

不锈钢表面激光熔覆层与喷焊层耐磨性对比研究

本文研究在１Ｃｒ１８Ｎｉ９Ｔｉ基体上采用激光熔覆和离子喷焊二种工艺形成的涂层对耐磨性的影响。使用５ｋＷ横流ＣＯ２激光器对预置在基体上的Ｃｏ基自熔合金粉末进行单道或多道扫描，得到的熔层与等离子焊层对比结果是：激光熔层缺陷率低，成品率高，其结构致密均匀，晶粒细小，成分稀释率更小，对基体热影响小，熔层硬度与强韧性更高。性能试验证明：激光熔层具有更高的抗擦伤磨损和抗冲击滑动高温磨损性能，耐磨性提高了一倍左右。     

Microstructure and properties of TiB2–TiB reinforced titanium matrix composite coating by laser cladding

TiB₂ particle and TiB short fiber reinforced titanium matrix composite coatings were prepared utilizing in situ synthesized technique by laser cladding on the surface of Ti6Al4V alloy. Through the experiment, it was found that the surface of the single-track coatings appeared in the depression, but it can be improved by laser track overlapping. With the increase of laser power density, the amount of TiB short fiber was increased, and the distribution of TiB₂ and TiB became more uniform from the top to bottom. The micro-hardness of TiB₂/TiB coating showed a gradient decreasing trend, and the average micro-hardness of the coatings was two-fold higher than that of the substrate. Due to the strengthening effect of TiB₂ particle and TiB short fiber, the wear volume loss of the center of the coating was approximately 30% less than that of the Ti–6Al–4V substrate, and the wear mechanism of the coating was mild fatigue particle detachment.     

Study on the microstructure and wear resistance of the composite coatings fabricated on Ti-6Al-4V under different processing conditions

Composite coatings mainly containing titanium carbides and borides were produced by laser surface alloying of Ti-6Al-4V with graphite and boron mixed powders. The test results show that the coatings have higher hardness (1600-1700 HV_0.1) and are more resistant to wear than the as-received sample. Laser scanning speed and the content of alloying elements (weight ratio of graphite to boron) have an effect on both the microstructure and the wear resistance of the coatings. TEM results show that strip titanium carbides and borides grow alternately and thus restrain the formation of coarse needle-like TiB and dendritic TiC crystals produced by laser alloying of titanium alloys with boron and graphite separately.     

Laser-based Surface Modifications of Aluminum and its Alloys

Aluminum (Al) and its alloys have widespread engineering applications because of their higher strength to weight ratio, ductility, and formability. However, in various applications, mechanical properties such as hardness, corrosion, wear, and fatigue resistance are prerequisite at near surface regions. Such localized modification without affecting the bulk phase can be performed by various surface-engineering approaches including electro-deposition, physical and chemical vapor depositions, thermal spraying, plasma spraying, and organic polymeric coatings. Delamination failure of such coatings from the substrate is often inevitable due to the difference in film-to-substrate elastic modulus associated with the aforementioned processes. Recently, researchers have adopted a new approach of laser surface engineering to modify the near surface regions of metallic substrate by laser beams resulting in superior mechanical properties with the formation of novel microstructures. In this article, the recent developments in the surface modification of Al and its alloy by laser treatment are reviewed. Processing parameters and resulting microstructures of Al and its alloys are briefly summarized, along with their impact on mechanical properties. Finally, this article concludes future research directions.     

316L不锈钢粉末光纤激光选区熔化特性

采用自行研制的光纤激光选区熔化快速成型设备,研究了选区激光熔化316L不锈钢粉末工艺参数、能量输入与样件致密度、表面形貌之间的关系以及微观组织特征。结果表明：扫描速度对成型效果影响最为显著;样件致密度随着激光能量密度提高有逐渐增大的趋势;能量密度作为选区激光熔化工艺的技术指标具有可操作性;表面形貌由激光功率与扫描速度比值所决定。深入探讨了能量输入、熔化凝固行为、激光功率与扫描速度比值与样件致密度、表面形貌的关系。结果表明：选区激光熔化凝固组织层内、层间熔合处为弧形,且为冶金结合,金相组织主要由柱状晶与等轴晶组成,层内靠近熔合线周围是柱状晶,而层间靠近熔合线附近主要是细小等轴晶,晶粒直径为1 μm左右。     

Influences of CO2 laser annealing on mechanical and laser-induced damage properties of ZrO2 thin films

Zirconium dioxide (ZrO₂) thin films were deposited on BK7 glass substrates by the electron beam evaporation method. A continuous wave CO₂ laser was used to anneal the ZrO₂ thin films to investigate whether beneficial changes could be produced. After annealing at different laser scanning speeds by CO₂ laser, weak absorption of the coatings was measured by the surface thermal lensing (STL) technique, and then laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) was also determined. It was found that the weak absorption decreased first, while the laser scanning speed is below some value, then increased. The LIDT of the ZrO₂ coatings decreased greatly when the laser scanning speeds were below some value. A Nomarski microscope was employed to map the damage morphology, and it was found that the damage behavior was defect-initiated both for annealed and as-deposited samples. The influences of post-deposition CO₂ laser annealing on the structural and mechanical properties of the films have also been investigated by X-ray diffraction and ZYGO interferometer. It was found that the microstructure of the ZrO₂ films did not change. The residual stress in ZrO₂ films showed a tendency from tensile to compressive after CO₂ laser annealing, and the variation quantity of the residual stress increased with decreasing laser scanning speed. The residual stress may be mitigated to some extent at proper treatment parameters.     

Processing of concretes with a high power CO2 laser

Laser material processing, being a non-contact process, minimizes many of the complexities involved in the decontamination and decommissioning of nuclear facilities. A high power laser beam incident on a concrete surface can produce spalling, glazing or vaporization, depending upon the laser power density and scan speed. This paper presents effect of various laser processing parameters on the efficiency of material removal by surface spalling and glazing. The size of laser beam at constant fluence or energy density had significantly different effect on the spalling process. In thick concrete block cutting the flow or removal of molten material limits the cutting depth. By employing repeated laser glazing followed by mechanical scrubbing process cutting of 150 mm thick concrete block was carried out. Gravitation force was utilized for molten materials to flow out while drilling holes on vertical concrete walls. The dependence of the incident laser beam angle on drilling time was experimentally studied.