Fiber Laser Alloying of Additively Manufactured 18Ni-300 Maraging Steel Part Surface: Effect of Processing Parameters on the Formation of Alloyed Surface Layer and Its Properties

The development of new efficient, economical, and safe methods for strengthening the working surfaces of parts is an important task in the field of improving the reliability and resourcefulness of critical equipment and structures. In the present paper, laser boronizing is investigated as an alternative method for improving the wear resistance of maraging steel parts manufactured by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). After LPBF, the specimens’ surface was covered with an amorphous boron paste (0.03–0.6 mm) and laser processed with a continuous-wave fiber laser in melting mode (λ—1070 nm; power—300 W; spot Ø—1.0 mm) at 500–1500 mm/min laser beam scanning speeds. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray microanalysis, Knoop hardness, and dry sliding wear tests were applied to investigate the geometry, microstructure, hardness and its distribution, heat-affected zones, wear resistance, and wear mechanism of the alloyed layers. The boronized layers of thickness ~280–520 µm with microstructure from hypoeutectic to borides’ mixture were obtained, whose hardness varied from ~490 to ~2200 HK0.2. With laser boronizing, the wear resistance was improved up to ~7.5 times as compared with aged LPBF samples. In further method development, the problem of thermal cracking and softening of the heat-affected zone should be solved.