Study on the Properties of Iron-based Alloys 17-4PH Powder Manufactured by Laser Additive Manufacturing

Background: Laser additive manufacturing has been used for surface repair and remanufacturing due to fast laser processing speed, high energy density, and dense microstructure. However, the properties of coating samples produced by laser additive manufacturing of ironbased alloys vary considerably, resulting in a large amount of data that needs to be accumulated and analyzed. Methods: The coating properties of iron-based alloy powders manufactured by laser cladding are studied. The optimal process parameters of the laser cladding are determined by exploring and comparing the macroscopic appearance, hardness, and conductivity of the junction of the cladding. Results: From the macroscopic appearance, when the ratio of the height to the width of the cladding layer is 3.615, the surface of the cladding layer has a smooth surface and is closely combined with the substrate. Conclusions: The hardness of the cladding layer is found to increase significantly, with an average hardness of 663 HV. Besides, it is found that the blackhead's hole causes the conductivity change. The ratio of the largest hole area to the smallest hole area is 8.29 times, and the depth ratio is 1.91 times, but the average resistance ratio is about 1.6 times.