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Laser Processing of Fe-Cr-B Alloys: Microstructure Evolution, Non-Equilibrium Solidification and Wear-Corrosion
Lei He1,2,3, Changle Zhang2, Jiang Ju1
1School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|July 15, 2026
Summary
Laser processing refines iron-chromium-boron (Fe-Cr-B) alloys, significantly enhancing wear and corrosion resistance compared to casting. Rapid solidification techniques like laser cladding and DED produce finer borides and denser microstructures for improved performance.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Metallurgy
- Additive Manufacturing
Background:
- Fe-Cr-B alloys offer excellent wear and corrosion resistance due to hard boride phases.
- Conventional casting leads to coarse borides and segregation, causing brittleness and limiting reliability.
- Laser processing techniques (cladding, LPBF/DED) enable rapid solidification, altering microstructure and properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and systematically analyze the effects of laser processing on Fe-Cr-B alloys.
- To compare microstructural evolution and performance across different laser processing methods and casting.
- To identify limitations and propose future research directions for optimizing laser-processed Fe-Cr-B alloys.
Main Methods:
- Classification of evidence based on processing methods: laser cladding, LPBF/DED, casting.
- Quantitative comparison of boride refinement, grain size, and relative density.
- Analysis of non-equilibrium solidification mechanisms (solute trapping, CET) and their control via G/R ratio.
- Systematic review of existing literature, distinguishing direct evidence from indirect inference.
Main Results:
- Laser cladding refines borides from 150-300 μm to 10.8-20 μm; DED achieves 1-5 μm equiaxed grains with >98% density.
- Laser-clad Fe-Cr-B coatings exhibit ~1052 HV0.5 hardness, 18% better wear resistance, and 70% less cavitation mass loss than cast counterparts.
- Non-equilibrium mechanisms significantly influence phase evolution and microstructure under rapid cooling.
Conclusions:
- Laser processing, particularly DED, offers superior microstructural control and performance enhancement for Fe-Cr-B alloys over conventional casting.
- Understanding non-equilibrium solidification mechanisms is crucial for designing advanced Fe-Cr-B materials.
- Further research is needed in thermodynamic databases, standardization, post-processing, and unified performance datasets for laser-processed Fe-Cr-B alloys.
