Microstructure of reaction zone in WCp/duplex stainless steels matrix composites processing by laser melt injection

The laser melt injection (LMI) process has been used to create a metal matrix composite consisting of 80μm sized multi-grain WC particles embedded in three cast duplex stainless steels. The microstruture was investigated by scanning electron microscopy with integrated EDS and electron back-scatter diffraction/orientation imaging microscopy. In particular the search of the processing parameters, e.g. laser power density, laser beam scanning speed and powder flow rate, to obtain crack free and WCp containing surface layer, has been examined. Before the injection of ceramic particles into remelted surface layer, the influence of processing parameters of laser surface remelting on the microstructure and properties of selected duplex steels was also investigated. Although after simple laser surface remelting the austenitic phase is almost not present inside remelted layer, in the case of LMI the austenite was observed in vicinity of WC particles, due to increase of carbon content acting as austenite stabilizer. The diffusion of carbon in the reaction zone results also in a formation of W2C phase in the neighborhood of WC particles with a strong orientation relationship between them. The maximum volume fraction of the particles achieved in the metal matrix composite layer was about 10% and a substantial increase in hardness was observed, i.e. 575 HV0.2 for the matrix with embedded particles in comparison to 290 HV0.2 for untreated cast duplex stainless steels.