Formation of a joint between deposited and base metals during laser cladding of a nickel-based powder onto a copper-based alloy

Abstract

Laser metal deposition (LMD) is an alternative method to other cladding techniques such as Plasma Transfer Arc (PTA) or blowtorch for surface treatment in the glass industry. It aims to produce dense, high-quality coatings on a non-planar surface without affecting its thermal and mechanical properties. In this study, Ni-based coatings were coated onto Cu-Ni-Al substrate using a 3 JET nozzle technique. During laser cladding, good metallurgical bonding is necessary to ensure the further surfacing process technique. A microstructural analysis was conducted, and the mechanical properties were then evaluated with microhardness analysis to link process parameters to coating bonding quality. A calculation of the power attenuation attempts to explain the impact of the powder distribution on the bonding. This work revealed that a chemical dilution zone exists between coating and substrate and is necessary for perfect metallurgical bonding. The heterogeneous bonding, observed through the section, along the curved interface coating/substrate, has been linked to the Gaussian distribution of the powder that attenuates the input power. The attenuated power was measured all along the interface.