Synthesis of Ni-Ti Coatings on Different Metallic Substrates by Mechanical Alloying and Subsequent Laser Treatment

Abstract

In this work, we proposed a novel mechanical alloying method to deposit Ni x-Ti x intermetallic coating on various metallic substrates using laser treatment. Three different substrates (Al-based alloy, Ti-based alloy, and hypoeutectoid steel) were used, and 50-70 µm thick Ni x Ti x coating was deposited during the process. For mechanical alloying, we used a self-constructed vibratory ball mill (single chamber) and for laser treatment, we used a "TrumpfTruDisk 1000" machine equipped with a four-dimensional control system "Servokon" designed specifically for experimental studies. Different laser beam intensities were used for laser operation. The cross-sectional microstructures of coatings were studied using a scanning electron microscope equipped with a Bruker energy-dispersive X-ray Spectrometer (EDS). Additional investigation of a cross-sectional area of one of the Ni x Ti x-coated samples was performed with field emission high-performance SEM and focused ion beam (FIB). Phase compositions of the obtained coatings, before and after laser treatment, were analyzed using X-Ray diffraction method. After the deposition process, the micro-hardness of the coatings was measured using a Vickers hardness tester. The structure and morphology of the obtained coatings were investigated.