ABRASIVE WEAR STUDY OF LASER SURFACE ALLOYING OF CHROMIUM ONTO AISI-1018 STEEL

The abrasive wear properties of the alloys produced by laser surface alloying of chromium onto AISI 1018 steel substrates were studied. Low-carbon steel samples were chromium electro-deposited, using conventional electroplating techniques, and a laser beam was used to melt the surfaces to produce the alloying effects. The chromium coating thickness, laser power and working speed were varied, and their effects on the wear resistance of the alloying produced were investigated. The conducting dry sand-rubber wheel abrasion test was adopted, and the weight loss was measured to evaluate the wear properties. Scanning electron microscopy was used to characterize the worn surfaces of the alloyed specimens. The results show that the weight loss decreases with increasing chromium content, melted depth and hardness. The width and depth of the wear scratches decrease as the wear resistance properties increase.