Orowan Strengthening Research Articles

Effect of cumulative plastic deformation on microstructure and strengthening mechanism of extruded Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy

Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy profiles are widely used as aircraft components because of lightweight and high strength. The section of thin-walled profile is easy to have unavoidable heterogeneous strain. However, the influence mechanism of different cumulative plastic strains (CPS) on the material properties at different cross-section locations needs to be further clarified. This study carried out an extrusion experiment to study the influence of CPS on the microstructure, properties, and strengthening mechanisms by TEM, SEM and XRD. Results show that the strength and micro-hardness are positively correlated with CPS, while the elongation exhibits an inverse correlation. The orientation relationships between different micro- and nano-scale precipitates and the matrix were characterized. The strengthening mechanisms under different CPS were clarified. It was found that the contribution of solid solution strengthening is 22.6 % under the maximum cumulative strain, while Orowan strengthening accounts for 20.3 %. In contrast, these contributions are 30.2 % and 11.9 % under lower cumulative strain, respectively. Specimens at low CPS have the precipitated phase bands parallel to the extrusion direction, while the high CPS induces smaller and dense precipitated phases in the matrix and grain boundaries, resulting in precipitate-free zones with a width of 200–500 nm at the sub-grain boundary, which reduces the strengthening effect at the grain boundary. The research findings can guide for optimizing the heat treatment processes of thin-walled profiles.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of CuCrFeNi medium entropy alloys synthesized via mechanical alloying and spark plasma sintering

In this study, two novel Co-free medium entropy alloys (MEAs) with compositions of Cu20Cr10Fe35Ni35 (Cu20) and Cu10Cr20Fe35Ni35 (Cu10) were successfully prepared by a combination of mechanical alloying (MA) and spark plasma sintering (SPS). The Cu20 alloy exhibited a heterogeneous microstructure consisting of coarse and ultrafine grains (UFG) with a face-centered cubic (FCC) structure. In contrast, the Cu10 alloy showed a homogeneous UFG microstructure with an FCC matrix and a small amount of BCC phase. Moreover, both alloys contained a small amount of Cr7C3 particles, introduced by milling media during MA. In comparison with the Cu20 alloy, the Cu10 alloy exhibited better tensile properties, e.g., yield strength of 712 MPa, ultimate tensile strength of 843 MPa, and elongation of 20.1 %, demonstrating an excellent balance between strength and ductility compared to some well-established FCC-structured multi-component MEAs and high entropy alloys (HEAs). The enhanced tensile properties of the Cu10 alloy are attributed to the synergistic effects of grain refinement and Orowan strengthening by the fine Cr7C3 particles. The findings of this work provide valuable insights for designing cost-effective HEAs and MEAs with high strength and desirable ductility for various structural applications.

Studies of SiC‐Filled Al6061 Metal Matrix Composite Optical, Mechanical, Tribological, and Corrosion Behavior with Strengthening Mechanisms

The objective of the current study is to produce metal matrix composites (MMCs) using ultrasonic‐assisted stir casting and Al6061 alloy reinforced with silicon carbide (SiC) microparticle reinforcement in weight percentages of 0, 2, 4, and 6. The microstructural alterations of Al6061–SiC composites are investigated using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with an energy‐dispersive X‐ray (EDAX). By adding more nucleation sites for the formation of smaller grains, SiC reinforcement of the Al6061 matrix encourages grain refining. The SiC addition significantly changes the microstructure of Al6061 composites, enhancing their mechanical qualities. In addition to increasing density by 0.6%, hardness by 33%, and tensile strength by 33%. The increased SiC content dramatically decreases elongation by 42%. The strength of Al6061–SiC MMCs is predicted using several strengthening mechanism concepts as part of the continuing investigation. For Al6061–SiC composites, the strengthening contribution from thermal mismatch is more significant than that from Orowan strengthening, Hall–Petch mechanism, and load transmitting effect. Grain refinement interactions, load transmission mechanisms, and the strengthening effects of CTE differences and dislocations between matrix and reinforcement particles are studied. The composite with 6‐weight percent SiC reinforcement performs better in dry sliding wear and corrosion resistance.

Additive manufacturing of Fe–Mn–Al–C lightweight steel by laser powder bed fusion: The role of laser scanning speed on forming quality, microstructure and properties

The Fe–Mn–Al–C lightweight steels have attracted great attention in the military, aerospace, and automotive industries due to their high strength and lightweight design. Nevertheless, the excessive Mn and Al inclusions have led to poor formability and processability, which brings challenges to the manufacture of large size complex structural parts. In this study, the lightweight steel with a composition of Fe–Mn–Al–C was prepared by laser powder bed fusion for the first time, aimed at investigating the effects of laser scanning speed. The results show that different laser scanning speeds have significant effects on the process sensitivity of lightweight steel, and too low or too high laser scanning speeds may lead to suboptimal sample quality, increased porosity and surface roughness. At a scanning speed of 800 mm/s, the optimal conditions for the lowest porosity (0.03%) and surface roughness (Sa = 3.34 μm) are achieved, resulting in the highest quality of the formed products. Furthermore, an increase in scanning speed results in a reduction in grain size and an enhancement of dislocation strength. When the scanning speed is 800 mm/s, the significant enrichment of Ni–Mn phase helps to enhance the pinning ability of dislocations, while the precipitation of nanoscale small and dense κ-carbide optimizes the Orowan strengthening effect. As a result, dislocation movement is effectively impeded, leading to superior comprehensive mechanical properties of exceptional strength-plasticity matched with a tensile strength, yield strength, and elongation after fracture of 1125.2 MPa, 1019.8 MPa, and 41.9%, respectively.

Microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of selective laser melting fabricated hybrid particle reinforced AlSi10Mg composites

(SiC+TiB2)/AlSi10Mg composite powders with 5 wt% micro-SiC particles and 1.5 wt% nano-TiB2 particles were prepared by high energy ball milling, and hybrid particle reinforced aluminum matrix composites (AMCs) were fabricated by SLM. This study systematically investigated the effects of SiC and TiB2 particles on the phase composition, microstructure evolution, grain crystallization, and mechanical properties. The machanisms of potential strengthening and fracture mechanisms were revealed. The tribological behaviors of the hybrid particle reinforced AlSi10Mg composites under different friction conditions were explored as well. The results show that the 1.5 wt% nano-TiB2 particles provided sufficient nucleation sites for grain growth, completely transforming from coarse columnar to fined equiaxed grains. The average grain size decreases from 7.98 μm to 3.34 μm, and the texture is significantly weakened, which is beneficial to the homogenization of the microstructure, thereby improving the mechanical properties of the SiC/AlSi10Mg composites. The (SiC+TiB2)/AlSi10Mg composites showed a high ultimate tensile strength (∼ 489.1 MP), hardness (172.2 HV) and elongation of 8.2 %. The enhancement of mechanical properties was attributed to Orowan strengthening, fine grain strengthening, and load-bearing strengthening. Due to the Si precipitates and fine microstructure, a low wear rate of 0.50 × 10−5 g/m was obtained, 10.7 % lower than that of SLM formed SiC/AlSi10Mg composites. The friction process is affected by abrasive wear, adhesive wear and delamination wear. It is aspired that the current approach can provide guidance for the design of new alloy systems with excellent performance.

Insights on the electrical conductivity enhancement mechanisms of carbon polymer dots (CPDs) reinforced Cu composites

Carbon polymer dots (CPDs) has represented unique potential in reconciling the incompatible properties of strength and electrical conductivity (EC) in copper matrix composites, while the mechanisms underlying EC improvement remain to be fully elucidated. 0.2CPDs/Cu composites prepared by conventional powder metallurgy processes achieves excellent mechanical and electrical conductivity simultaneously. Compared to pure Cu, CPDs not only participated in the construction of a better electronic transport pathway, but accelerated the twinning forming behavior, leading to outstanding strength(∼423 MPa) and electrical conductivity(95%IACS). Here the conductive behavior of CPDs/Cu composites was revealed through characterizing the intrinsic electrical properties of CPDs and composites microstructure evolution. CPDs not only participated in the construction of a better electronic transport pathway, but accelerated the twinning forming behavior. Increased twinning domain leads to the remarkable amelioration of grain boundary resistance, meanwhile, the intragranular CPDs made a significant contribution on the enhanced mechanical strength via Orowan strengthening. This work makes up the lack of understanding on the mechanical and electrical enhancement mechanism in our prior research.

On the formation of oxide inclusions in the high nitrogen chromium-manganese steel produced by the Wire and Arc Additive Manufacturing

Oxide inclusions significantly impeded the mechanical properties of the Wire and Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) made high nitrogen Cr–Mn austenite stainless steels (HNSs). This paper focused on the inclusions' component, crystallization characteristics and formation mechanism. Results revealed that there are two types of inclusions: the round-shape nano-size inclusion (Type-I) and the micron-size island-shape inclusion (Type-II). The Type-I inclusion usually consists of the MnO particle or the combination of the MnO, Si-oxides and precipitations (MnS or Cr2N). Most of the Type-I oxide inclusion is located in the range between 300 nm and 700 nm,the number of Type-I oxide inclusion takes the main part of 69.7%.With higher content, smaller size and more even distributions, the isolated Type-I oxide inclusions would be beneficial to the mechanical properties owing to the Orowan strengthening mechanism. The Type-II inclusion is mostly composed of the MnO matrix and the coherent chromite spinel (MnCr2O4). In general, the larger the size, the more serious the negative impact on mechanical properties. And there was a strong negative correlation between the size and quantity of type II oxide inclusions. After heat treatment, abundant phase transformations occurred in the Type-II inclusions and some harmful phases (Sigma, MnS et cl.) were often found in or around the inclusions with specific orientation relationships. During deposition, the unstable droplet transformation and the trapped residual slag were the main causes for the inclusions in the molten pool.

Enhanced high-temperature mechanical properties and strengthening mechanisms of chemically prepared nano-TiC reinforced IN738LC via laser powder bed fusion

Fabrication of high-strength nickel-based composites to meet the demanding service requirements in aerospace environments is a significant challenge. This paper introduces the wet chemical method to prepare the nano-TiC reinforced IN738LC. In contrast to the conventional ball milling approach, this method attains superior attachment of nanoparticles. By employing a full-factorial experimental design, the correlation between Laser-powder bed fusion (L-PBF) processing parameters and the porosity, micro-hardness, and high-temperature tensile strength of as-built samples was examined. The results indicate that the optimal processing parameters are a laser power of 225 W, scanning speed of 750 mm/s, and hatch space of 0.09 mm, with a Volumetric energy density (VED) of 111.1 J/mm3. Compared to IN738LC, the chemically prepared TiC-IN738LC exhibits a 45 % increase in room temperature tensile strength (400 MPa) and a 65 % increase in high-temperature tensile strength (120 MPa). Compared with ball-milled TiC-IN738LC, the chemically prepared samples present superior microstructure with more equiaxed grains. The morphological analysis of the tensile samples reveals that the presence of dimples are crucial in enhancing the ductility properties. Furthermore, this study identifies the Orowan strengthening mechanism and the grain refinement strengthening mechanism as the principal mechanisms of reinforcement by nano-ceramics.

Laser additive manufacturing of Ti and Ce co-modified 2195 difficult-to-process aluminum alloy: Grain refinement, cracking suppression and enhanced mechanical properties

High cracking susceptibility of Al-Li alloys with Ti/CeB6 addition is thoroughly suppressed in laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) processing of Ti/Ce co-modified 2195 alloys at relatively high scan speeds, while the cracking suppression mechanism and phase formation in these composites are not clarified. In this work, microstructure evolution and mechanical performance of the LPBF-fabricated Ti/Ce co-modified 2195 are investigated to reveal their cracking suppression and strengthening mechanisms. The results show that apparent grain refinement of the composites is ascribed to high supercooling from rapid formation of constitutional supercooling zone in front of solid–liquid interfaces by high-Q-value Ti solute, and heterogeneous nucleation of in situ formed Al3Ti and Al11Ce3 precipitates. Their synergistic interactions promote formation of fine equiaxed grains and thus inhibit crack initiation. The composites exhibit high microhardness of 100 ± 5 HV0.2, nano-hardness of 1.6 ± 0.1 GPa and elastic modulus of 97 ± 3 GPa, where the elastic modulus increases by ∼27% and ∼31% compared to those of LPBF-processed and conventionally manufactured 2195 alloys, respectively. A tensile strength of ∼336 MPa and an elongation of ∼3% are obtained from in-situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction measurement. The improved properties are derived from grain refinement and Orowan strengthening. Based on the optimal processing parameter and composition, a bracket component filled with lattice structures is designed and manufactured with good manufacturing quality and processing accuracy.

Elimination of cracks in Al–Zn–Mg–Cu alloy by addition of TiO2 in selective laser melting

7050 aluminium alloy is widely used in aerospace industry due to its excellent mechanical properties. 7050 aluminium alloy belongs to Al–Zn–Mg–Cu alloy. Due to the formation of cracks in selective laser melting (SLM) forming of Al–Zn–Mg–Cu alloys, 7050 aluminium alloy is difficult to be applied to forming and manufacturing in this technological field. In order to solve this critical problem, in this paper, titanium dioxide (TiO2) powder was mixed with 7050 aluminium alloy using ball milling method to achieve the effect of eliminating cracks. The cracks in the specimens completely disappeared when the TiO2 additions were 1.5 wt% and 2 wt%. With the addition of TiO2, the grains gradually changed from coarse columnar crystals to fine equiaxed crystals. Combined with the temperature field simulation, the grain refinement and crack elimination mechanism of TiO2 in SLM forming were analysed. The grain refinement is attributed to the formation of Al3Ti. The crack elimination was attributed to the reduction of the intergranular solid-liquid channel length. The maximum values of tensile strength and elongation of 7050 aluminium alloy formed by SLM are achieved at 2 wt% of TiO2. The values are 389 MPa and 8.8 %. The better mechanical properties were attributed to the synergistic effect of crack elimination, Hall-Petch, and Orowan strengthening. This study provides experimental guidance for the preparation of crack-free 7050 aluminium alloy.

Microstructure and tensile properties of in-situ TiAl nanoparticles reinforced AZ31 composites

The good interfacial bonding between reinforcements and magnesium (Mg) matrix is the essential requirement for the development of magnesium matrix composites (MMCs) with high performance. Herein, this work tries to improve the interfacial bonding of MMCs. Here, the pre-dispersed Ti nanoparticles were introduced in AZ31 composites to form in-situ TiAl nanoparticles, and the AZ31 composites were synthesized by semisolid stirring assisted ultrasonic vibration method. Microstructural analysis reveals that the TiAl nanoparticles are in-situ formed by the Al atoms in composites diffusing into Ti nanoparticles, and the composites obtain a strong interfacial bonding between the TiAl nanoparticles and matrix owing to the formation of TiAl/Mg semi-coherent interface. The composites achieve simultaneous improvement of strength and plasticity. The composite with 0.2 wt% Ti nanoparticles addition possesses the best comprehensive tensile properties. The corresponding ultimate tensile strength and elongation reach 315 MPa and 21.3 %, respectively. The enhanced strength is owing to dislocation strengthening, grain refinement strengthening, and Orowan strengthening. The good plasticity is the result of the activation of non-basal dislocations, refined grains, weakened texture, and good interfacial bonding.

The effect of γ′ and δ phases evolution on the mechanical properties of high-entropy CoCu0.5FeNiTa0.1 alloy during heat treatment

To simultaneously improve the mechanical strength and plasticity of the CoCu0.5FeNiTa0.1 high entropy alloy, we adopted the heat treatment and investigated the evolution of different phases containing γ′, δ and γ phases. Two different γ′ phases, the Cu-rich phase and the Ta-rich phase, were detected in the as-cast alloy. During heat treatment, Cu outwards diffused from γ′(Cu-rich) into γ matrix, γ′(Ta-rich) phase and δ phase. The accumulation of Cu and Ta into the δ phase strongly promoted its growth. One significant increase was measured in the compressive yield strength from 1040 MPa to 1370 MPa, ultimate compressive strength from 2020 MPa to 2735 MPa, compressive strain from 34% to 50.2% and hardness from 3.854 GPa to 4.315 GPa. The substantial enhancement in ductility mainly resulted from the distance increase among γ′ particles in γ matrix, the reduction of lattice distortion and the decrease in aspect ratio of δ phases. The yield strengthening mechanisms were mainly from solid strengthening and Orowan strengthening.

Simultaneously improve the strength and ductility of additively manufactured Y2O3/316 L composites via optimizing heat treatment

The effect of heat treatment temperature on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Y2O3/316 L composites prepared by laser powder bed fusion was studied. The cellular substructures formed in the as-built samples remained stable when heat-treated at 1000 °C and disappeared as the temperature increased to 1100 °C. Compared with the as-built sample, a larger number of fine particles precipitated in the sample at 1000 °C, and the particles were significantly coarsened at 1100 °C. Under the stress-induced grain boundary migration mechanism, the grains undergo coarsening. The samples heat-treated at 1000 °C had the best combination of strength and ductility compared to the other samples. The high strength of the samples can be attributed to the retention of the cellular substructure and the enhancement of the Orowan strengthening mechanism. The high ductility of the sample is brought about by the formation of the twinned structure. The heat treatment developed in this work for the additive manufacturing of steel matrix composites to tailor its microstructure and mechanical properties for its various applications is critical.

Twinning behaviors of Mg−Sn alloy with basal or prismatic Mg2Sn

The Mg−Sn alloys, with basal or prismatic Mg2Sn laths, were employed to reveal the effect of precipitate orientation on twinning behavior quantitatively. The Mg−5wt.%Sn alloys with basal or prismatic Mg2Sn were compressed to study the twinning behaviors. Subsequently, an Orowan strengthening model was developed to quantitatively investigate the critical resolved shear stress (CRSS) increment of precipitates on twinning. The results revealed that the prismatic precipitates hindered the transfer and growth of tensile twins more effectively compared with the basal precipitates. The decreased proportion of tensile twins containing prismatic Mg2Sn might be attributed to a larger CRSS increment for tensile twins compared with that for basal precipitates. The obvious decreased twinning transfer in the alloy with prismatic Mg2Sn could be due to its higher geometrically necessary dislocation and enhanced CRSS of tensile twins. Notably, the prismatic precipitates have a better hindering effect on tensile twins during compression.

Effect of heat treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of 18Ni 300 maraging steel manufactured by wire + arc additive manufacturing

ABSTRACT A thin-walled structure was manufactured by wire + arc additive manufacturing using 18Ni 300 maraging steel, and the heat treatment process had been investigated. The microstructure of as-deposited sample was martensite, ferrite and nano-precipitated phases. Differently, more nano-precipitated phases and reverted austenite existed in the direct aging (AT) sample. However, only lath martensite and nano-precipitated phases existed in the solution + aging (SAT) sample. The as-deposited and AT samples performed a high strength with well plastic. The primary strengthening mechanism for this great improvement of tensile strength arose by the formation of nano-precipitated phases, which was known as the Orowan strengthening mechanism. The well plastic of as-deposited and AT samples was attributed to dual phase net basket sub-structures, which were beneficial to improve the length of crack propagation and the ability of cooperative deformation. And the reverted austenite was also main factor for the well plastic of the AT samples.

Effect of micro-nano hybrid SiCp on microstructure and mechanical properties of 7075Al alloy

In this study, micro-nano hybrid SiCp/7075Al composites were successfully prepared for the first time by ultrasonic-assisted semi-solid stirring casting method. The effects of micro-nano hybrid SiCp on the microstructure and mechanical properties of 7075 Al were studied. The results show that the distribution of SiCnp and micron SiCp in the microstructure was uniform. During the extrusion process, most of the micron SiCp were subjected to significant load and broken, which increased the contact area with the matrix and promoted the interface bonding. In addition, the enhanced interfacial interaction promoted the formation of MgAl2O4 phase, which significantly improved the mechanical properties. SiCnp not only had a significant effect on grain refinement, but also promoted the enrichment of Cu, accelerated the formation of GP zone, and promoted the formation of more nano-MgZn2 precipitates. The yield strength and the elastic modulus of micro-nano hybrid SiCp/7075 Al composites reached 450 MPa and 94 GPa, respectively. The synergistic effect of SiCnp and micron SiCp could produce composite strengthening effects such as load transfer strengthening, thermal mismatch strengthening and Orowan strengthening. Moreover, a large number of dislocation pile-ups were observed near the interface between micron and nano SiCp and Al matrix. This leaded to a higher work hardening rate of the composites as the particle content increases. The higher work hardening rate enhanced the strain hardening ability of the material during plastic deformation, thereby significantly improving the tensile strength and elongation of the material.

Insight into microstructure evolution of in-situ ZrB2np/AA6111 composites with both excellent room and high temperature properties

With rapid development of aerospace and automobile, the service condition of structural components becomes increasingly harsh, diverse and high mechanical properties are urgently needed. In this work, an advanced in-situ ZrB2np/AA6111 composite with excellent room and high-temperature properties was prepared via Al-Zr-B reaction system. The microstructure revealed that ZrB2 nanoparticles with regular polygonal shapes ranged from 10 to 150 nm approximately, and a good α-Al/ZrB2 interface bonding was confirmed. The agglomeration of ZrB2 particles was significantly weakened during hot extrusion. Due to the inhibiting effect on dislocation motion and pinning effect on grain boundaries induced by ZrB2 particles, fine recrystallized grains were obtained in ZrB2/AA6111 composites after extrusion. Compared with AA6111 matrix alloy, the yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and elongation of AA6111-3ZrB2 composites at room temperature and 300 °C were increased by 18.9 %, 12.7 %, 50.0 % and 34.1 %, 22.4 %, 42.4 %, respectively. An excellent room and high-temperature strengthening effect was simultaneously achieved assisted by ZrB2 particles. The improvement of room-temperature properties was mainly owed to the Grain refinement and Orowan bypassing strengthening mechanisms. The good high-temperature properties mainly relied on the superior coarsening resistance of ZrB2 particles which could fully played the Orowan strengthening effect and well protected the grain boundaries at high temperature. This work provides a feasible approach to design high-performance aluminum alloys and is beneficial for the further development of modern industries.

New strategy to simultaneously improve strength-toughness balance for low-carbon ultrastrong steel by multi-step heat treatment process

The quenching-partitioning-tempering (QPT) multi-step heat treatment process was employed to enhance the strength-toughness balance of low-carbon ultrastrong steel based on the controllable transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) effect and co-precipitation strengthening. The aging embrittlement of ultrastrong steel, with an impact toughness of only 5.8 J at peak strength, has been effectively addressed through the QPT process. The sufficient reversed austenite (RA) can be obtained by controlling the partition temperature to 650 °C, followed by aging at 550 °C to fully re-precipitate nanoparticles. The volume fraction of RA in QPT650 steel reached 16.4 %, and the number density of nanoparticles increased dramatically, resulting in a high yield strength of 1233 MPa and excellent impact toughness of 60.4 J. The coarsening and re-precipitation of nanoparticles were clarified, and the strengthening increments of QPT650 steel reaches 584.6 MPa, and the substantial enhancement of Orowan strengthening is responsible for the high yield strength. The excellent impact toughness of QPT650 steel is attributed to the obvious TRIP effect of RA that consumes a large amount of crack propagation energy, and a small number of sheared nanoparticles provide limited micro-cracks, resulting in a strong crack resistance.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of 316L stainless steel manufactured by multi-laser selective laser melting (SLM)

The microstructure and mechanical properties of 316L stainless steel samples manufactured by dual-laser selective laser melting technology, were investigated in compare with that of the single-laser scanning samples. It was found that the porosity of the dual-laser overlap samples was lower than that of single laser forming samples due to the different laser energy density absorbed by the powders. Furthermore, it was found that the crystal structure and crystal orientation of both zones were similar. From the TEM observation, it was noted that the number density of nano-oxides in the overlap zone was higher than that in the single laser forming zone. This reason was suggested as the difference of the oxygen content inside the melt pool during the forming process. The strength and microhardness of the single-laser samples was lower than that of the dual-laser overlap samples, but the elongation was higher. By analyzing the strengthening mechanism, it was revealed that Orowan strengthening was the main reason for the difference. These results could guide the large-size component manufactured using the muti-laser selective laser melting technology.

Combination effects of laser heating and water cooling on the repair performance of Hastelloy C-276 by underwater laser direct metal deposition

The Ni-based Hastelloy C-276 was repaired by in-air and underwater laser direct metal deposition (in-air DMD and UDMD) with four gradient cooling rates (in-air DMD, in-air DMD with interlayer cooling, UDMD and UDMD with each layer re-covered by water). The microstructure and mechanical properties of repaired samples were systematically characterized with respect to the cooling rates. All samples presented good metallurgical bonding and columnar dendrites with epitaxial growth. The underwater environment had a more pronounced acceleration effect on the cooling rate compared to interlayer cooling. The rapid cooling induced intense thermal cycling, resulting in increased dislocation density and grain refinement with primary dendrite arm spacing (PDAS) diminishing from 5.30 to 3.21 μm. Accelerated cooling rate contributed to precipitation of massive M6C carbides. Carbides coarsened (sizes from 257 to 354 nm) and exhibited a reduced content as cooling rate slowed down due to intrinsic heat treatment (IHT). The residual water film in UDMD repair promoted oxide formation. Samples with increased cooling rates exhibited superior mechanical performance. The improved microhardness, tensile and impact properties were primarily attributed to the enhanced fine grain strengthening and Orowan strengthening facilitated via reduced grain size, increased dislocation density and carbide content. Quantities of large-size carbides were detrimental to tensile and impact properties as displayed in the in-air DMD sample with interlayer cooling (carbide size of 341 μm). The study could serve as a reference for in-situ restoration in deep-water environments.