Wear properties of AISI 1015 steel coated with Stellite 6 by microlaser welding

Surface coating operations have an important place in metal technologies. The aim of surface coating operations is to improve and enhance the inferior properties of a surface through its modification. In this study, low-carbon AISI 1015 steel was coated with cobalt-base alloy Stellite 6 welding wire by microlaser welding. After coating, the microstructures of the coated surface cross-sections were examined. The microstructure, hardness and wear resistance of the surface-alloyed layer were investigated using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction analysis, and Vickers hardness (HV0.1) and pin-on-disk tests. The chrome and cobalt diffusion from the Stellite coating alloy to the AISI 1015 steel was examined by means of the line analysis method and element mapping analyses. The results obtained from the tests were interpreted and supported by comparison with tests conducted in similar studies reported in the literature.