Laser Metal Deposition of Nickel Silicide on S355 Structural Steel

Components with excellent oxidation, corrosion, and wear resistance are constantly employed in turbines, offshore systems, and power generation setups. The parts do often have to withstand extreme conditions during operation (e.g., high temperatures) making the choice of material a crucial step. Nickel silicides have proven to be possible candidate materials, but their inherent brittleness at room temperature prevents them from being produced by conventional processes such as casting and machining. However, with today's advances in Additive Manufacturing (AM), novel materials can be produced by exposing metal powders to high-power lasers and electron beams. The goal of the present study is to explore the feasibility of using laser metal deposition (LMD) technique to produce nickel silicide beads on S355 structural steel. The microstructure and properties of the deposited beads are characterized using various analytical techniques (i.e., SEM, XRD, EDS, and hardness measurements), and changes in microstructure and composition are also discussed.