Laser cladding of a featureless iron-based alloy

Laser cladding experiments with powder injection technique were carried out to create coatings of Fe–8.1Cr–6.4Mn–5.3Si–6.9Mo–3.6C alloy on AISI 1018 steel substrates using a diode laser. Analysis of the clad layers showed that an almost featureless structure was formed at different dilutions between 1% and 4%. The featureless phase with a high hardness of 1155 HV was characterized as a metastable solid solution of ε phase. However, the featureless structure appeared to be very brittle with numerous cracks. After heat-treatment, it decomposed into a bainitic structure with a high hardness of 884 HV.

► Laser cladding of a newly developed Fe-based alloy was examined. ► The coatings had an almost completely featureless structure. ► The featureless phase was identified as metastable ε phase. ► The featureless phase exhibited a high hardness of about 1155 HV. ► Preheating the substrates could greatly reduce the number of the cracks.