Effect of different feedstocks on the microstructure and mechanical properties of HSLA steel repaired by underwater laser direct metal deposition

Abstract

Underwater laser direct metal deposition (UDMD) technique shows great potential for the on-site repair of damaged structures in the ocean. In this study, aiming at the possibility of flexible feedstock substitution, two powders with different properties are employed to repair the preprepared HSLA steel plates using UDMD. The combined effects of alloy compositions and UDMD processing on the repair performance including microstructure, mechanical properties and corrosion behavior, are systematically studied. The results show that the localized laser melting/solidification and rapid underwater cooling effect significantly increase the cooling rates, and thus lead to the formation of fine-grained lath martensite and acicular ferrite. The high Ni content in the sample repaired with ultra-high strength (UHS) powder contributes to the interlath austenite. Compared with that of the sample repaired with high strength (HS) powder, the microhardness of the sample repaired with UHS powder is high due to the solid solution strengthening and grain boundary strengthening. In addition, the tensile properties of the UDMD samples exceed the marine steel requirement (yield strength ≥690 MPa). The acceptable impact toughness of the UDMD samples is due to the existence of acicular structures and high fraction HAGBs. Furthermore, the UDMD samples present a better corrosion resistance in comparison with the substrate. The experimental findings demonstrate the employment feasibility of powder substitution on the UDMD repair of complex steel structures in the ocean.