Monitoring of Molten Pool Thermal History and its Significance in Laser Cladding Process

The current study focuses on the process monitoring of thermal history and its significance in laser cladding technology. Thermal history of the molten pool during laser cladding was monitored using an IR-pyrometer and the molten pool life time, solidification shelf duration and cooling rates were calculated. Effect of these on three different cases was studied in brief: (a) Elemental segregation in nickel based super alloy, (b) Wettability between metal matrix and WC particles and (c) Decomposition of TiC particles in metal matrix. It was found that with slow cooling rate, formation of Laves phases in Inconel 718 became dominant which is detrimental to the mechanical properties. Also, slow cooling resulted in the decomposition of TiC particles resulting in poor wear properties of the coating. In contrast to the above two cases where slow cooling was found to be detrimental for mechanical properties of the coating, it increased wettability as well as bonding through diffusion between the WC particles and the metal matrix. Also the effect of presence of TiC and WC in metal matrix on molten pool thermal history was studied. The microstructures, elemental segregations and fractured surfaces were characterized using SEM and EDS analyses.