Effect of laser modification of B–Ni complex layer on wear resistance and microhardness

•Nickel modified boronized layers have dual-zone structure.•After laser modification B–Ni complex layer consisted of three different zones.•New layers resulted in smooth microhardness gradient between surface and substrate.•Laser modification of B–Ni complex layers increased wear resistance.

The paper presents the results of microstructure observations, microhardness measurements and wear resistance tests of B–Ni complex layers. Boronickelizing is a three-step process of layer production on metallic substrate. Nickel modified boronized layers were called ‘boronickelized’. Nickel plating was applied first and, as a result, nickel coatings with a varying thickness were obtained. Diffusion boronizing was carried out as a second step. Boronickelized layer was formed following the merger of galvanic and diffusion processes. In the third step the galvanic-diffusion boronickelized layer was obtained by remelting it with a CO2 laser beam. Galvanic-diffusion boronickelized layer had a dual-zone microstructure. The first zone was continuous and nickel-enriched, and characterized by reduced microhardness, whereas the second zone was characterized by needle-shaped microstructure, with microhardness similar to Fe2B iron borides. After laser modification steel specimens with the boronickelized layer consisted of remelted zone (MZ), heat affected zone (HAZ), and substrate. It was found that increasing the thickness of nickel coating leads to decreasing the microhardness of the remelted zone. Increasing thickness of nickel coating causes the reduction of wear resistance of boronickelized layer modified by laser beam. The application of a nickel coating thicker than 20 µm causes incomplete remelting of needle-shaped microstructure of boronickelized layer.