Laser Cladding of TiC for Better Titanium Components

Pure commercial titanium is widely used because of its high corrosion resistance and lower cost compared with other titanium alloys, in particular when there is no high wear requirements. Nevertheless, the wear resistance is poor and surface damage usually occurs in areas under contact loadings. Laser cladding is a suitable technique for manufacturing precise and defect free coatings of a dissimilar material with higher wear and corrosion resistance. In this work a good understanding of laser metal deposition mechanisms allowed to obtain defect free coatings of Ti6Al4 V and TiC metal matrix composite (MMC) using a flash lamp pumped Nd:YAG laser of 1 kW. A complete investigation of the process parameters is discussed and resultant wear properties are shown. The results show the feasibility to apply the process for manufacturing, improving or repairing high added value components for a wide range of industrial sectors.