Effect of Deep Cryogenic Treatment on Microstructure and Wear Resistance of LC3530 Fe-Based Laser Cladding Coating

Abstract

The effect of deep cryogenic treatment on microstructure and wear resistance of LC3530 Fe-based powder laser cladding coating was investigated in this paper. The cladding coating was subjected to deep cryogenic treatment for the different holding times of 3, 6, 9, 12, and 24 h, followed by tempering at room temperature. Microstructure of the cladding coating was observed by optical microscope (OM) and the microhardness was measured by the Vickers-hardness tester. The wear was tested by ball and flat surface grinding testing conducted on the material surface comprehensive performance tester. The wear scars were analyzed using a non-contact optical surface profiler and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results showed the grain size of cladding coating after 12 h of deep cryogenic treatment was significantly reduced by 36.50% compared to the non-cryogenically treated cladding coating, and the microhardness value increased by approximately 34%. According to the wear coefficient calculated by the Archard model, the wear resistance improved about five times and the wear mechanism was micro-ploughing. The deep cryogenic treatment could enhance the wear resistance of the cladding coating by forming a wear resistant alloy compound and higher surface microhardness.