UQ eSpace

Abstract

In this study, the laser cladding process was utilised to deposit a thick ceramic layer of TiO2 onto a Ti6Al4V metal alloy substrate to improve the wear properties at the surface. A custom made powder was compared to a commercially available powder and testing was completed at high scan speeds with increasing laser powers. The results showed that Marangoni convection occurs in the clad melt which will affect the properties of the surface treatment. The custom powder was found to have a less consistent track formation than the commercially available powder, but its track dimensions were much more suitable for producing a full surface layer. The custom powder was found to have less defects such as cracking, porosity and delamination compared to the commercially available powder. Increasing the laser scan speed increased the height and width of the clad track, while lowering the contact angle. However this did slightly increase the number of defects within the clad layer.