The erosion resistance and microstructure evaluation of laser surface alloyed sintered stainless steels

The sintered stainless steels of different microstructures (austenitic, ferritic and duplex) were laser surface alloyed with hard powders (SiC, Si ₃ N ₄ ) and elemental alloying powders (Cr, FeCr, FeNi) to obtain a complex steel microstructure of improved properties. Laser surface alloying (LSA) involved different strategies of powder placing: the direct powder feeding to the molten metal pool and filling grooves machined on the sample surface by powder, and then laser surface melting. Obtained microstructures were characterised and summarised, basing on LOM, SEM and XRD analysis. The links between base material properties, like superficial hardness and microhardness, derived microstructures and erosion resistance was described. The LSA conditions and alloying powder placement strategies on erosion resistance was evaluated. The erosion wear is lower for Cr, FeCr, FeNi laser alloying, where powders were dissolved in the steel microstructure, and hard phases were not precipitated. Precipitations of hard phases (carbides, silicides, martensite formation) reduce erosion resistance of SiC alloyed stainless steel. The LSA with Si ₃ N ₄ works better due to lack of precipitates and formation of a soft and ductile austenitic microstructure. The erosion wear at the impingement angle of 90° is high for hard and therefore brittle surface layers obtained as a result of alloying by hard particles (SiC, Si ₃ N ₄ ). The softer and ductile austenitic stainless steel resist better than harder ferritic and duplex stainless steel material at studied erodent impingement angle.