Processing window development for laser cladding of zirconium on zirconium alloy

Zirconium is commonly used in nuclear, chemical processing and biomedical applications due to its low thermal neutron cross-section, relatively high corrosion resistance and great biocompatibility. In this study, powder spray laser additive manufacturing technology was used to deposit commercially pure zirconium on zirconium alloy substrates. The clad quality was assessed based on deposition rate, dilution, geometrical circularity and presence of defects. The effect of laser power, laser scan speed, laser spot size and powder feed rate on the clad quality was investigated. Defect-free clads, suitable for laser additive manufacturing were selected based on the analysis of process parameters. Zirconium clad could be deposited at a deposition rate of 0.80 g/min with a dilution rate of 50%.

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