Laser alloying with Fe-B4C-Ti on AA6061 for improved wear resistance

To improve the wear resistance of AA6061 aluminium alloy, Fe-based composite coatings were prepared by laser surface alloying with Fe-B4C or Fe-B4C-Ti mixed powders. Microstructures, phase compositions and wear properties were investigated. The results indicated that the coating fabricated with Fe-B4C was mainly composed of FeAl, Fe3Al, Fe4Al13, CrB, Cr2B, Cr23C6, Al4C3, (Fe, Cr) and alpha-Al phases. When adding Ti in the precursor powders, TiB2 and TiC were also well detected. In-situ synthesised TiB2 particles dispersed on the matrix in a hexagonal platelike structure or closely agglomerated and connected with each other to form a whole. The formation mechanism of TiB2 in different morphologies was further discussed. Compared with the 6061 Al substrate, the micro-hardness of the alloyed coatings was improved to 5.7-6.5 times. With the addition of Ti, the wear volume loss reduced to 10% of that of the substrate, indicating a significant improvement in wear resistance.

Automated summary

Fe-based composite coatings prepared by laser surface alloying can significantly improve the wear resistance of AA6061 aluminium alloy, with even better performance when Ti is added.