Dr. Shareen S.L. Chan
,
Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, Australia
Dr. Samuel Pinches
,
Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, Australia
Mr. Bruno Felipe Andrade Bezerra
,
Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, Australia
Dr. Hannah J. King
,
Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, Australia
Dr. Ashok Meghwal
,
Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, Australia
Ms. Sukhpreet Kaur
,
University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA, Australia
Prof. Colin Hall
,
"Surface Engineering for Advanced Materials” - SEAM, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA, Australia
Prof. Christopher C. Berndt
,
Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, Australia
Prof. Andrew Ang
,
Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, Australia
Driven by cost savings from refurbishment and improved durability of the component, coating technologies for the wear and corrosion protection of large, high value components in the mining and manufacturing industry are gaining significance. Presently, hard chrome electroplating is conventionally used as a protective coating against harsh environments. However, the plating process is highly hazardous to both workers’ health and the environment, as well as requiring costly waste management.
Laser metal deposition (LMD) can produce high quality pore-free and crack-free coatings with good metallurgical bonding and low dilution. Extreme High‐Speed Laser Cladding (EHLA) is similar to LMD but coats a component 100 to 250 times faster than LMD. This enhanced efficiency proves particularly advantageous for large components. Furthermore, the laser beam in EHLA melts the powders while still above the melt pool, resulting in less material wastage. EHLA creates smaller heat-affected zones (HAZ) and refined microstructures, thereby improving coating properties.
This work presents ceramic-metal composite coatings produced by EHLA. The coatings are analyzed for their microstructure, phase compositions, microhardness and tribological properties. The processing-structure-properties relationships are investigated. Additionally, the performance of the coatings is benchmarked against hard chrome coatings, to evaluate their suitability as alternatives.
