Process Optimization and Properties of Laser Cladding High Vanadium High Speed Steel Coatings on Nodular Cast Iron

Abstract

As withstanding very high loads, thermal cycling leading to thermal fatigue, and severe environmental in the steel industry, rolls with long service life are specially required. High speed steel with high vanadium content is a newly-developed wear-resistance material that has been studied and used in some countries for making steel rolls. As a surface treatment technology, laser cladding can fabricate coating to improve the wear resistance of substrate. In this paper, the substrates for laser cladding were nodular cast iron rolls, Nd: YAG solid pulsed laser was used to explore the feasibility of preparation high vanadium high speed steel (HVHSS) coatings. The Nd: YAG laser cladding results that the coated layers combined metallurgically with the substrate with a lot of microcracks. The average microhardness up to 650 HV is more than 2 times as high as that of the substrate. After laser remelting, a fully dense and crack free HVHHS coating with an excellent metallurgical bonding was deposited. The presence of VC in the coating mainly improves the microhardness of coating up to about 650 HV.