Fabrication and microstructure of Fe-based amorphous composite coatings by laser cladding

Fe-based amorphous composite coatings were fabricated on AISI 1045 steel by laser cladding. The results of the X- ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy analyses .show the coating is composed of an amorphous phase in majority and a nanocrystaUine phuse in m,inority. Phase composition of the coating changes along the depth of the coating. The reasonable scanning speed for fabricating an amorphous composite coating is 3 500 mm/min when the laser power is 4 800 W and the laser beam diameter is 2 mm. If the scanning speed is lower than 3 500 mm/min, the intensity of the two main diffraction peaks in X-ray diffraction patterns of the coatings decreases with the scanning speeds increasing. At the same time, a broad halo peak emerges and enlarges. High laser power and fast scanning speed are the essential conditions of amorphization. The coating exhibits high microhardness.