Study on Microstructure and Wear Resistance of Multi-Layer Laser Cladding Fe901 Coating on 65 Mn Steel

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Surface Engineering
• Metallurgy

Background:

• 65 Mn steel is a versatile carbon structural steel with good mechanical properties.
• Fe901 is an iron-based alloy known for hardness, stability, and wear resistance, ideal for laser cladding.
• Enhancing 65 Mn steel's surface properties is crucial for extending its service life in harsh environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To improve the surface hardness and wear resistance of 65 Mn steel.
• To investigate the feasibility of laser cladding with Fe901 alloy.
• To characterize the resulting multilayer coating's properties.

Main Methods:

• Laser melting process for Fe901 alloy deposition on 65 Mn steel.
• X-ray diffraction (XRD) for phase composition analysis.
• Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for microstructural examination.
• Vickers hardness testing and friction-wear testing for performance evaluation.

Main Results:

• Dense, uniform Fe901 coatings were successfully deposited without defects.
• The coating's microstructure consisted of solid solution, carbides, and α-phase with diverse crystal structures.
• Microhardness increased significantly, with multilayer coatings being 3.59 times harder than the substrate.
• Coatings exhibited low friction coefficients (0.38-0.58) and superior wear resistance compared to the substrate.

Conclusions:

• Laser cladding with Fe901 alloy is an effective method to enhance 65 Mn steel's surface properties.
• Multilayer Fe901 coatings provide substantial improvements in hardness and wear resistance.
• The enhanced steel is suitable for applications requiring high durability and resistance to wear.