A study on microstructures and properties of P/M valve seats of hot forging by laser irradiation

A CO2 laser was used as heating source for hot forging. Powder/metallurgy (P/M) valve seats for car engine was studied by this novel process. The effects of compression ratio and tempering temperature followed by laser irradiation on the microstructures and mechanical properties were investigated. It was indicated that the amount of the recrystallized grains increased with increasing compression ratio, especially when the compression ratio was above a certain value (18.70%), resulting in more refined grains. Good properties including density, radial crushing strength and hardness can be obtained by optimizing processing parameters.