Improved corrosion, mechanical and tribological properties of TI-6AL-4V alloy by direct laser deposition

The corrosion and wear phenomenon has been responsible for the gradual deterioration of components in industrial plants. This deterioration of components results in the loss of plant efficiency, total shutdown and aggressive damage in a number of industries. Hence, surface modification and coating technique with enhanced surface properties is desirable. Modification of surface properties plays an important role in optimizing a material’s performance for a given application. Modern industrial applications require materials with special surface properties such as high hardness, wear and corrosion resistance. The performance of material surface under wear and corrosion environments cannot be fulfilled by the conventional surface modifications and coatings. Therefore, different industrial sectors need an alternative technique for enhanced surface properties. Titanium and its alloys are materials of choice in a wide range of industrial applications due to exceptional biocompatibility, corrosion resistance and high strength to weight ratio. However, poor tribological and low microhardness properties possessed by these materials hinder the extent of applications. These setbacks can be addressed by employing an additive manufacturing process, which has the ability to enhance strength and micro-hardness. This technique provides various benefits including rapid solidification, high material use efficiency and the possibility of producing complexes near net shape metal components, which require very little or no machining, and as a result contributes to cost reductions. The most effective and economical engineering solution to prevent or minimize such surface region of a component is done by fibre lasers.