Formation of a titanium-carbide-dispersed hard coating on austenitic stainless steel by laser alloying with a light-transmitting resin

Laser alloying is one of the most effective processes for improving surface properties such as wear resistance and corrosion resistance. Our group developed a laser-alloying process using a light-transmitting resin as a source for the carbon element. In this study we applied this process for the surface-hardening of austenitic stainless steels. Laser irradiation of a stainless steel sheet laminated with titanium foil and transparent adhesive tape obtained a laser-alloyed zone of about 5 μm in thickness. The thickness of the laser-alloyed zone was homogeneous. The laser-alloyed zone contained fine titanium carbide particles formed by a reaction between titanium and pyrolytic carbon stemmed from the resin. The surface hardness of the laser-alloyed zone increased up to 1200H V with increasing average laser power. We describe the laser-alloying process and an investigation of the microstructure of the laser-alloyed zone.