Modern industries demand higher mechanical properties from components. Traditional heat treatment methods often suffer from drawbacks such as high production costs, time-intensive processes, and labor-intensive procedures. The integration of bionic engineering with laser surface melting has given rise to Discrete Laser Surface Melting (DLSM) technology, effectively mitigating these shortcomings. Previous research has substantiated the capability of this technology to significantly enhance various metal properties. This study employed an Nd:YAG pulsed laser for the DLSM treatment of Q235 steel. The discrete laser surface melted (DLSMed) units were prepared on Q235 steel samples. Subsequent analysis utilized scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) to examine the microstructure and chemical composition of the DLSMed samples. Surface profilometry, hardness testing, and X-ray stress testing were conducted to measure surface roughness, microhardness, and residual stress, respectively. Mechanical properties were evaluated using tensile and impact testing machines. Experimental findings revealed that the DLSMed sample's surface could be divided into three regions: the melting zone, the heat-affected zone (HAZ), and the substrate. The microstructure of the melting zone consisted of refined martensite. The depth and width of the DLSMed units exhibited a certain regularity with variations in the defocus distance. Increasing the defocus distance positively impacted grain refinement and hardness but also led to an increase in surface roughness. Residual stress increased within a specific defocusing range, but beyond this range, its variation lost regularity. Hot cracking behavior within the DLSMed unit encompassed four stages: crack nucleation, propagation, healing, and decomposition. Different defocusing distances and the distribution of DLSMed units significantly affected the tensile strength and impact toughness of the samples. As the defocusing distance increased, the tensile and yield strength of DLSMed samples with transverse units gradually decreased. In contrast, samples with longitudinal units showed a trend of first decreasing and then increasing in tensile and yield strength. The distribution of DLSMed units played a significant role in improving the tensile properties of Q235 steel. The contribution of three factors to the impact performance of DLSMed samples was ranked from high to low as hardness, grain size, and yield strength ratio. The soft phase (substrate) could absorb impact energy and convert it into strain energy stored in the DLSMed sample. Only when the distribution of DLSMed units (hard phases) aligned with the tensile direction could they effectively limit the plastic deformation and enhance the mechanical properties of Q235 steel. However, an increase in defocusing distance led to increased brittleness, deteriorating the mechanical properties of the DLSMed samples. Finally, this study unveiled the strengthening mechanisms of DLSMed samples, providing valuable insights for future applications in enhancing the mechanical properties of metals.
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