Formation of reactive species in gliding arc discharges with liquid water

The effects of gas composition on gliding arc (glidarc) electrical discharge reactors with pure water have been studied. The glidarc reactors utilized AC electrical discharges with two different electrode configurations. In one case a set of two stainless steel electrodes connected to a single power supply was placed in the gas phase over the liquid surface (power=250–300 W, maximum voltage=12 kV). The second experimental arrangement utilized a reactor with a set of three stainless steel electrodes supplied by two identical high-voltage transformers, where the electrodes were placed over the water surface or with the water sprayed directly in the plasma formed between the electrodes (power=500–600 W, maximum voltage=12 kV). The variation of pH and conductivity and the formation of hydrogen peroxide, ozone, nitrate, and hydrogen were measured. The effects of the type of gas, including pure oxygen, pure nitrogen, and dry air, were determined.     

CW/PW dual-beam YAG laser welding of steel/aluminum alloy sheets

The lap welding of JSC270CC steel and A6111-T4 aluminum alloys were carried out by a dual-beam YAG laser with the continuous wave (CW) and pulse wave (PW) modes. The microstructure of the welded joints were examined with SEM, EPMA while the properties were checked with microhardness tester and tensile testing machine. It was shown that the dual-beam laser welding can effectively reduce or avoid the formation of the blowholes in the welded joints. The PW laser beam penetrated the welding pool, leading to the root-shape structures with enhanced bonding strength at the weld interface. A 10 μm intermetallic compound (IMC) layer was generated at the interface. The shearing strength of lap joint was measured to be 128 MPa.     

Surface engineering of biomedical metallic materials by plasma-based low-energy ion implantation

Plasma-based low-energy ion implantation, including plasma source ion nitriding/carburizing and plasma source low-energy ion enhanced deposition of thin films, for surface engineering of metallic materials was emerged as low-temperature, low-pressure surface modification technique. Plasma source ion nitriding onto AISI 316L austenitic stainless steel produced a high nitrogen face-centered-cubic phase (γ_N) layer about 10 μm thick at the temperature of 380 °C during 4 h with the high microhardness of HK_0.1 N 22.0 GPa. The microhardness of the nitrided surface from the titanium nitride phase [(Ti, Al, V)N] layer on Ti6Al4V alloy at 750 °C during 4 h achieved up to about HK_0.1 N 15.5 GPa. No pitting corrosion in the Ringer’s solution at 37 °C was detected by electrochemical polarization measurement for the nitrided AISI 316L stainless steel and Ti6Al4V alloy, respectively. Plasma source ion nitriding of the metallic materials provided the engineering surfaces with combined improvement in hardness and corrosion resistance.     

Analysis of machining characteristics in electrochemical etching using laser masking

Electrochemical etching using laser masking (EELM), which is a combination of laser beam irradiation for masking and electrochemical etching, allows the micro fabrication of stainless steel without photolithography technology. The EELM process can produce various micro patterns and multilayered structures. In this study, the machining characteristics of EELM were investigated. Changes in characteristics of recast layer formation and the protective effect of the recast layer according to the laser masking conditions and electrochemical etching conditions were investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), focused ion beam (FIB) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The oxidized recast layer with a thickness of 500 nm was verified to yield a superior protective effect during electrochemical etching and good form accuracy. Finally, micro patterns and structures were fabricated by EELM.     

Application of laser in seam welding of dissimilar steel to aluminium joints for thick structural components

Laser welding-brazing technique, using a continuous wave (CW) fibre laser with 8000 W of maximum power, was applied in conduction mode to join 2 mm thick steel (XF350) to 6 mm thick aluminium (AA5083-H22), in a lap joint configuration with steel on the top. The steel surface was irradiated by the laser and the heat was conducted through the steel plate to the steel-aluminium interface, where the aluminium melts and wets the steel surface. The welded samples were defect free and the weld micrographs revealed presence of a brittle intermetallic compounds (IMC) layer resulting from reaction of Fe and Al atoms. Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) analysis indicated the stoichiometry of the IMC as Fe₂Al₅ and FeAl₃, the former with maximum microhardness measured of 1145 HV 0.025/10. The IMC layer thickness varied between 4 to 21 μm depending upon the laser processing parameters. The IMC layer showed an exponential growth pattern with the applied specific point energy (E_sp) at a constant power density (PD). Higher PD values accelerate the IMC layer growth. The mechanical shear strength showed a narrow band of variation in all the samples (with the maximum value registered at 31.3 kN), with a marginal increase in the applied E_sp. This could be explained by the fact that increasing the E_sp results into an increase in the wetting and thereby the bonded area in the steel-aluminium interface.     

An experimental investigation of underwater pulsed laser forming

Laser forming is a new forming technology, which deforms a metal sheet using laser-induced thermal stresses. This paper presents an experimental investigation of pulsed laser forming of stainless steel in water and air. The effects of cooling conditions on bending angle and morphology of the heat affected zone (HAZ) are studied. It is shown that the case of the top surface in air and the bottom surface immersed in water has the greatest bending angle based on the forming mechanism of TGM. The water layer above the sample decreases the coupling energy, leading to a small bending angle. For a thin water thickness (1 mm), the water effects on the HAZ are limited. As water layer thickness increases (5 mm), the concave shape of the HAZ is more remarkable and irregular because the shock waves by high laser energy heating water are fully developed. However, the area and the depth of the HAZ become less significant when water thickness is 10 mm due to the long pathway that laser undergoes.     

Reduction of core loss in non-oriented (NO) electrical steel by electroless-plated magnetic coating

An important issue in development of electrical steels for core-laminated products is to reduce core loss to improve energy conversion efficiency. This is usually obtained by tailoring the composition, microstructure, and texture of electrical steels themselves. A new technique to reduce core loss in electrical steel has been investigated. This technique involves electroless plating of magnetic thin coating onto the surface of electrical steel. The material system was electroless Ni–Co–P coatings with different thicknesses (1, 5, and 10 μm) deposited onto the surface of commercially available Fe–3% Si electrical steel. Characterization of deposited Ni–Co–P coating was carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectrometer. The deposited Ni–Co–P coatings were amorphous and composed of 56–59% Ni, 32–35% Co, and 8–10% P by mass. The effect of coatings on core loss of the electrical steel was determined using single sheet test. A core loss reduction of 4% maximum was achieved with the Ni–Co–P coating of 1 μm thickness at 400 Hz and 0.3 T.     

Statistical modeling of laser welding of DP/TRIP steel sheets

In this research work, a statistical analysis of the CO₂ laser beam welding of dual phase (DP600)/transformation induced plasticity (TRIP700) steel sheets was done using response surface methodology. The analysis considered the effect of laser power (2–2.2 kW), welding speed (40–50 mm/s) and focus position (?1 to 0 mm) on the heat input, the weld bead geometry, uniaxial tensile strength, formability limited dome height and welding operation cost. The experimental design was based on Box–Behnken design using linear and quadratic polynomial equations for predicting the mathematical models. The results indicate that the proposed models predict the responses adequately within the limits of welding parameters being used and the welding speed is the most significant parameter during the welding process.     

Laser cladding Ni–Co duplex coating on copper substrate

Ni–Co duplex coating has been successfully cladded on copper substrate by continuous wave CO₂ laser. The average microhardness of cladded coating was 635 HV_0.05, which was about 7 times of Cu substrate (92 HV_0.05). During sliding wear tests, the volume loss of copper substrate was about 7 times of Ni–Co duplex coating at 60 min. The high microhardness and crack free advantages of Ni–Co duplex coating, were favorable to reduce the plastic deformation and adhesive wear of copper substrate, resulting in the improvement of wear properties.     

Investigation of optimum condition in oxygen gas-assisted laser cutting

Laser cutting characteristics including power level and cutting gas pressure are investigated in order to obtain an optimum kerf width. The kerf width is investigated for a laser power range of 50–170 W and a gas pressure of 1–6 bar for steel and mild steel materials. Variation of sample thickness, material type, gas pressure and laser power on the average cut width and slot quality are investigated. Optimum conditions for the steel and mild steel materials with a thickness range of 1–2 mm are obtained. The optimum condition for the steel cutting results in a minimum average kerf width of 0.2 mm at a laser power of 67 W, cutting rate of 7.1 mm/s and an oxygen pressure of 4 bar. A similar investigation for the mild steel cutting results in a minimum average kerf width of 0.3 mm at the same laser power of 67 W, cutting rate of 9.5 mm/s, and an oxygen pressure of 1 bar. The experimental average kerf is about 0.3 mm, which is approximately equal to the estimated focused beam diameter of 0.27 mm for our focusing lens (f=4 cm and 100 W power). This beam size leads to a laser intensity of about 1.74×10⁹ W/m² at the workpiece surface. The estimated cutting rate from theoretical calculation is about 8.07 mm/s (1.0 mm thickness and 100 W power), which agrees with the experimental results that is 7.1 mm/s for 1.0 mm thickness of mild steel at the laser power of 88 W.     

Porous microstructures induced by picosecond laser scanning irradiation on stainless steel surface

A study of porous surfaces having micropores significantly smaller than laser spot on the stainless steel 304L sample surface induced by a picosecond regenerative amplified laser, operating at 1064 nm, is presented. Variations in the interaction regime of picosecond laser pulses with stainless steel surfaces at peak irradiation fluences(F_pk=0.378–4.496 J/cm²) with scanning speeds(v=125–1000 μm/s) and scan line spacings(s=0–50 μm) have been observed and thoroughly investigated. It is observed that interactions within these parameters allows for the generation of well-defined structured surfaces. To investigate the formation mechanism of sub-focus micropores, the influence of key processing parameters has been analyzed using a pre-designed laser pulse scanning layout. Appearances of sub-focus ripples and micropores with the variation of laser peak fluence, scanning speed and scan line spacing have been observed. The dependencies of surface structures on these interaction parameters have been preliminarily verified. With the help of the experimental results obtained, interaction parameters for fabrication of large area homogeneous porous structures with the feature sizes in the range of 3–15 μm are determined.     

Investigation of different surface morphologies formed on AISI 304 stainless steel via millisecond Nd:YAG pulsed laser oxidation

Different surface morphologies on AISI 304 stainless steel have been obtained after millisecond Nd:YAG pulsed laser oxidation. The effects of laser processing parameters, especially pulse width and laser energy density on the surface morphologies of the stainless steel were emphatically investigated. The results showed that surface morphologies were significantly changed with increasing laser pulse widths and laser energy densities. When the pulse width was 0.2–1.0 ms and laser energy density was 4.30×10⁶–7.00×10⁶ J/m², the surface was obviously damaged and the morphologies varied gradually from craters to ripple structures. However, when the pulse width was longer than 1 ms and the laser energy density was increased from 1.90×10⁷ to 3.16×10⁷ J/m², the sizes of craters got smaller until disappeared and the surface became flatter and smoother. Nevertheless, the smooth surface was not obtained under overhigh laser energy densities. In addition, the schematic relationship was used to describe the formation process and mechanism of different surface morphologies.     

Laser milling of martensitic stainless steels using spiral trajectories

A laser beam with sub-picosecond pulse duration was driven in spiral trajectories to perform micro-milling of martensitic stainless steel. The geometry of the machined micro-grooves channels was investigated by a specifically conceived Scanning Probe Microscopy instrument and linked to laser parameters by using an experimental approach combining the beam energy distribution profile and the absorption phenomena in the material. Preliminary analysis shows that, despite the numerous parameters involved in the process, layer removal obtained by spiral trajectories, varying the radial overlap, allows for a controllable depth of cut combined to a flattening effect of surface roughness. Combining the developed machining strategy to a feed motion of the work stage, could represent a method to obtain three-dimensional structures with a resolution of few microns, with an areal roughness S_a below 100 nm.     

Effects of surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT) on a rough surface of AISI 316L stainless steel

Surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT) improves mechanical properties of metallic materials through the formation of nanocrystallites at their surface layer. It also modifies the morphology and roughness of the work surface. Surface roughening by the SMAT has been reported previously in a smooth specimen, however in this study the starting point was a rough surface and a smoothening phenomenon is observed. In this paper, the mechanisms involved in the surface smoothening of AISI 316L stainless steel during the SMAT are elucidated. The SMAT was conducted on a specimen with a roughness of R_a = 3.98 μm for 0–20 min. The size of milling balls used in the SMAT was varied from 3.18 mm to 6.35 mm. The modification of subsurface microhardness, surface morphology, roughness and mass reduction of the specimen due to the SMAT were studied. The result shows the increasing microhardness of the surface and subsurface of the steel due to the SMAT. The impacts of milling balls deform the surface and produce a flat-like structure at this layer. Surface roughness decreases until its saturation is achieved in the SMAT. The mass reduction of the specimens is also detected and may indicate material removal or surface erosion by the SMAT. The size of milling ball is found to be the important feature determining the pattern of roughness evolution and material removal during the SMAT. From this study, two principal mechanisms in the evolution of surface morphology and roughness during the SMAT are proposed, i.e. indentation and surface erosion by the multiple impacts of milling balls. A comparative study with the results of the previous experiment indicates that the initial surface roughness has no influence in the work hardening by the SMAT but it does slightly on the saturated roughness value obtained by this treatment.     

A study of the influence of the input electrical power on the spectral width of the 510.6 nm line of an atomic copper vapor laser

The effect of the input electrical power on the spectral width of the 510.6 nm line of an atomic copper vapor laser (CVL) is investigated. An analysis of the gas temperature inside the discharge tube and the line broadening mechanism of the CVL is reported. The input electrical power was varied from 2.0 to 4.2 kW in a cylindrical discharge tube of inner radius 2.35 cm and length 150.0 cm. A Fabry–Perot etalon and imaging camera-based setup interfaced with personal computer was used to measure the spectral width of the 510.6 nm (green) laser line. The Doppler broadened spectral profile of the laser emission varies with input electrical power and an additional broadening of almost 1 GHz at the highest operating input power was observed.     

Simulation of the acceleration mechanism by light-propulsion for the powder particles at laser direct material deposition

The results of the numerical analysis of heat- and mass-transfer processes at powder particles' motion in a gas flow and laser beam by light-propulsion force during the laser cladding and direct material deposition are presented. Under consideration were the stainless steel particles, the radiation power range of the CO₂ laser were 1000, 3000 and 5000 W. Finally, the particles of 45 μm in diameter reach the maximum velocity of about 80, 220, 280 m/s. It is shown that as particles are heated by the laser up to the temperature approaching the boiling point, the particles' velocity in the light field by the vapor recoil pressure may increase significantly. The radius of the particles slightly varies due to the evaporation; the losses in the clad material mass are negligibly small. Comparisons of numerical results with known experimental data on light-propulsion acceleration of single particles (aluminum, aluminum oxide and graphite) under the influence of pulse laser radiation are also presented. Particle acceleration resulting from the laser evaporation depends on the particle diameter, powder material properties, focusing degree and attenuation laser beam intensity by the direction of its propagation.     

The influence of substrate temperature on femtosecond laser micro-processing of silicon,stainless steel and glass

We report the influence of substrate temperature on femtosecond laser ablation of silicon, stainless steel, and glass. Remarkable decrease in surface roughness was observed under high substrate temperature for silicon and stainless steel. While the ablation efficiency of glass as a typical wide band-gap material is scarcely altered at 900 K, the efficiency for stainless steel as a conductor apparently increased about 20% accompanied to the elevation of substrate temperature from 300 to 900 K. Silicon wafer results in slight increase of the ablation efficiency with decreasing the ablation threshold. Considering that the melting temperature of glass is much lower than those of silicon and steel, the observations from this work suggests that the material ablation caused by the ultrafast laser irradiation could not be explained in term of only laser-induced thermal excitation.     

Solderability study of RABiTS-based YBCO coated conductors

The solderability of commercially available YBa₂Cu₃O_7?x (YBCO) coated conductors that were made from Rolling Assisted Biaxially Textured Substrates (RABiTS)-based templates was studied. The coated conductors, also known as second-generation (2G) high temperature superconductor (HTS) wires (in the geometry of flat tapes about 4 mm wide), were laminated with copper, brass, or stainless steel strips as stabilizers. To understand the factors that influence their solderability, surface profilometry and scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize the wire surfaces. The solderability of three solders, 52In48Sn, 67Bi33In, and 100In (wt.%), was evaluated using a standard test (IPC/ECA J-STD-002) and with two different commercial fluxes. It was found that the solderability varied with the solder and flux but the three different wires showed similar solderability for a fixed combination of solder and flux. Solder joints of the 2G wires were fabricated using the tools and the procedures recommended by the HTS wire manufacturer. The solder joints were made in a lap-joint geometry and with the superconducting sides of the two wires face-to-face. The electrical resistances of the solder joints were measured at 77 K, and the results were analyzed to qualify the soldering materials and evaluate the soldering process. It was concluded that although the selection of soldering materials affected the resistance of a solder joint, the resistivity of the stabilizer was the dominant factor.     

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.     

Radiation transfer in metallic powder beds used in laser processing

Two-dimensional radiation transfer in a powder layer backed with a substrate of the same material and normally irradiated with a narrow axially symmetric bell-like or the flat-top laser beam is numerically calculated. This corresponds to physical experiments with the powder layer of 50 μm thickness and the laser beam diameters 60–120 μm. The powder bed is treated as an equivalent homogeneous absorbing scattering medium, the radiative properties of which are estimated from the optical properties of the solid phase and the morphological parameters of the powder bed. The theoretical analysis shows that the absorptance of a semi-infinite powder bed of opaque particles is a universal function of the absorptivity of the solid phase being independent of the specific surface and the porosity. This is confirmed by literature experimental data. The radial transport of the radiative energy due to scattering of the incident laser beam in the powder layer can considerably reduce the deposited energy at the centre of the beam but the widening of the radial profile of the deposited energy is not pronounced. The fraction of laser energy deposited within the projection of the incident laser beam is evaluated. The efficiencies of laser heating the whole powder/substrate system and the substrate decrease with increasing the reflectivity of the material. More uniform heating of the powder layer can be attained at higher reflectivity.