Fabrication of wear-resistant layers with lamellar eutectic structure by laser surface alloying using the in situ reaction between Cr and B₄C

To improve the wear resistance of Cr5 steel, wear-resistant layers with lamellar eutectic microstructure were fabricated by laser surface alloying (LSA), which is dependent on the in situ reaction between Cr and B₄C. Our results indicated that the hypoeutectic structures of the LSA layers were divided into interdendritic eutectic structures and dendrites. The area fraction of the eutectic structures increased with increasing laser scanning speed, which improved the hardness and wear resistance of the LSA layers. The average hardness of the LSA layer prepared at a scanning speed of 8 mm/s was HV_0.2 883.9, which was 1.8 times greater than that of the traditional quenched layer (approximately HV 480). After sliding for 659.4 m, the specimen prepared at a scanning speed of 8 mm/s exhibited a volume loss of 0.0323 mm³, which was only 29.5% of the volume loss of the traditional quenched specimen.