Laser surface treatment of tool steels

Laser surface treatment is a promising technique for improving the wear and corrosion resistance of materials. In the case of tool steels, laser surface treatment is preferably carried out in the liquid state to allow for complete dissolution of carbides. This paper concerns the application of laser melting to the surface treatment of AISI 420 and 440C martensitic stainless steels and sintered AISI T15 high-speed steel. Usually, laser-melted tool steels contain martensite, retained austenite and carbides. In steels containing large proportions of ferrite-forming alloying elements, -ferrite may also be observed. When applied to sintered steels, laser treatment leads to the elimination of residual porosity. The proportion of retained austenite in laser-melted steels is much higher than in conventionally treated steels. However, the hardness is high because austenite is strengthened by solid solution, dislocations and small grain size. The high volume fraction of retained austenite usually prohibits the application of tool steels in the laser-treated condition. Austenite may be eliminated by multiple tempering treatments at temperatures in the range 550–650°C. During tempering, carbides precipitate within austenite and martensite, and austenite transforms to martensite on cooling or isothermally to ferrite. Strong secondary hardening is often observed and the temperature of the secondary hardening peak of laser-surface-melted steels is higher than after conventional heat treatment.