Over the years, engineering materials are being developed due to the need for better service performance. Wear, a common phenomenon in applications requiring surface interaction, leads to catastrophic failure of materials in the industry. Hence, preventing this form of degradation requires the selection of an appropriate surface modification technique. Laser surface modification techniques have been established by researchers to improve mechanical and tribological properties of materials. In this chapter, adequate knowledge about laser surface cladding and its processing parameters coupled with the oxidation, wear and corrosion performances of laser-modified titanium has been reviewed.
Part of the book: Fiber Laser
Laser surface alloying (LSA) is a material processing technique that utilizes the high power density available from defocused laser beam to melt both reinforcement powders and a part of the underlying substrate. Because melting occurs solitary at the surface, large temperature gradients exist across the boundary between the underlying solid substrate and the melted surface region, which results in rapid self-quenching and resolidifications. Reinforcement powders are deposited in the molten pool of the substrate to produce corrosion-resistant coatings. These processes influence the structure and properties of the alloyed region. A 3D mathematical model is developed to obtain insights on the behavior of laser melted pools subjected to various process parameters. It is expected that the melt pool flow, thermal and solidification characteristics will have a profound effect on the microstructure of the solidified region.
Part of the book: Fiber Laser