Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Cermet Composite Coating on TC4 Surface

Abstract

In order to improve the surface quality and performance of TC4, the TC4-HfC-TaC metal-ceramic composite cladding coating was prepared on the surface of TC4 by using different process parameters by laser cladding technology. Through digital testing equipment, the macro morphology, molten pool size, dilution rate, Rockwell hardness (HRC), geometry, microstructure and other comprehensive properties of the coating are studied and analyzed. The results show that the performance characterization of TC4-HfC-TaC cladding layer is closely related to the melting state of refractory carbide ceramic phase HfC and TaC powder, when the laser beam energy density is not enough to completely melt the ceramic phase powder, with the increase of energy density, the coating surface tends to be flat, the molten pool size and dilution rate increase, the hardness gradually increases, the metallographic structure is refined uniformly, and the surface quality is improved. Excessive energy density of the laser beam can easily lead to excessive dilution rate of the cladding layer, reduced coating hardness, coarse metallographic structure, and reduced surface quality. Finally, the best combination of process parameters was screened out: laser power 3000 W, scanning speed 300 mm/min, spot size 2.5 × 11.5 mm, rectangular spot lap rate 40%, preset powder thickness 1.5 mm, at which time the coating hardness increased to 63.22 HRC. It is about 2.1 times the hardness of TC4 substrate, with the best performance, and the metallographic structure is densely arranged fine cell-like crystals, with outstanding microscopic characteristics, which realizes the purpose of preparing high-quality TC4-HfC-TaC cermet composite cladding coating on the surface of TC4 titanium alloy.