Enhanced mechanical properties of molybdenum-coated aluminium via laser cladding

ABSTRACT

High-quality molybdenum coating has been successfully deposited on the pure aluminium substrate by high-velocity oxygen fuel spraying and subsequent laser remelting and laser cladding process. The microstructure, bonding strength, micro-hardness and wear resistance of the coating were systematically investigated. Results showed that the obtained coating exhibits a good metallurgical bonding interface as well as a dense microstructure with Al₈Mo₃, AlMo₃ and Al₅Mo phases, which results in the significant improvement of the mechanical properties of the coating. The bonding strength is increased from 11 ± 1 to 57 ± 4 MPa after laser treatment. Micro-hardness of the coating (480 ± 30 HV) is observed to be increased by about 70% in comparison with the as-sprayed coating (281 ± 8 HV). The wear resistance of the Mo coating was also increased about five to six times by the laser remelting and cladding process.

KEYWORDS:

• Metals and alloys
• laser cladding
• microstructure
• mechanical properties
• Metals and alloys
• molybdenum coating
• laser cladding
• microstructure

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant number 52201051). The authors are also grateful to Yang Zhang and Donghua Lu, from China Nuclear Power Technology Research Institute, People’s Republic of China, for their assistance in the coating preparation.