Study on feasibility of producing an amorphous surface layer of Fe49Cr18Mo7B16C4Nb3 by pulsed Nd:YAG laser surface melting

► As-cast Fe49Cr18Mo7B16C4Nb3 alloy is submitted to pulsed laser surface melting. ► PLM in various scan speeds was unable to retain complete glassy microstructure. ► The effects of laser power and scan speed on amorphization have been discussed. ► A high overlapping factor in PLM can greatly restrict amorphization. ► Optimization of parameters of PLM to gain a glassy layer of the alloy is not easy.