Enhanced wear resistance of low carbon steel by depositing iron-chromium alloy coating using high-power laser cladding
摘要
In this study, the laser cladding process is used to deposit strengthening iron-chromium alloy (Fe–Cr alloy) coating on SS400 low carbon steel (SS400 steel) for improving its mechanical properties and prolonging the lifespan of materials. The laser cladding process parameters were optimized in single-track experiments using the Taguchi method to obtain the highest hardness coating. The optimized parameters were used to deposit pore-free multi-tracks of Fe–Cr alloy on SS400 steel to enhance its wear resistance. The results indicate a significant improvement in the wear resistance of SS400 steel with the Fe–Cr alloy coating from 1.96 × 10−5 mm3/(N × m) to 0.0114 × 10−5 mm3/(N × m). Overall wear resistance increased with an increase in the overlap rate. The optimal overlap rate determined in this study was 60%, as the wear morphology at 60% was not only comparable to that at 70% but also exhibited better cross-sectional quality of deposited than the 70% overlap rate. Therefore, this study confirms that employing the Taguchi method is effective in finding defect-free laser cladding optimization parameters, ultimately leading to improved mechanical performance and reduced experimental costs.