Laser Cladding of γ-TiAl Intermetallic Alloy on Titanium Alloy Substrates

The enhancement of titanium and titanium alloy's tribological properties is of major interest in many applications such as the aerospace and automotive industry. Therefore, the current research paper investigates the laser cladding of Ti48Al2Cr2Nb powder onto Ti6242 titanium alloy substrates. The work was carried out in two steps. First, the optimal deposition parameters were defined using the so-called “combined parameters,” i.e., the specific energy E _specific and powder density G. Thus, the results show that those combined parameters have a significant influence on the geometry, microstructure, and microhardness of titanium aluminide-formed tracks. Then, the formation of dense, homogeneous, and defect-free coatings based on optimal parameters has been investigated. Optical and scanning electron microscopy techniques as well as energy-dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses have shown that a duplex structure consisting of γ-TiAl and α ₂-Ti₃Al phases was obtained in the coatings during laser cladding. Moreover, it was shown that produced coatings exhibit higher values of microhardness (477 ± 9 Hv_0.3) and wear resistance (average friction coefficient is 0.31 and volume of worn material is 5 mm³ after 400 m) compared to those obtained with bare titanium alloy substrates (353 Hv_0.3, average friction coefficient is 0.57 and a volume of worn material after 400 m is 35 mm³).