Broad-beam laser cladding of Al-Cu alloy coating on AZ91HP magnesium alloy

The resistance to wear and corrosion of AZ91HP Mg alloy was improved by laser cladding Al-Cu alloy. It was found that the clad layer was characterized by AlCu4 and Mg17Al12 grains embedded in a AlMg matrix. The bonding zone exhibited a white-light planar crystal band with thickness of 10-13 μm. The heat-affected zone formed a eutectic structure due to the Mg diffusion. The microhardness and wear resistance of the coating were improved due to the formation of the hard phases AlCu4 and Mg17Al12. Owing to the formation of dense Al2O3 oxide film, the coating exhibited better corrosion resistance in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution.