Microstructural characteristics and erosion resistance of laser cladding Stellite 6 alloy on an 1Cr11Ni2W2MoV steel surface

The cladding process conditions adopted naturally when laser cladding Stellite alloy surface strengthening for key positions of complex components need to be accurately adjusted because of significant differences in the heating rate and heat dissipation conditions in each region of the components. We observed that stress-relief annealing must be supplemented to effectively avoid the generation of cracks when treating small-diameter parts of 1Cr11Ni2W2MoV steel piston rods when the thickness of the cladding layer formed by laser cladding Stellite 6 alloy exceeds 2 mm. In this step, the cracks can be significantly reduced by setting the annealing temperature at 650 degrees C, holding for 2 h, and then cooling with the furnace to ensure the quality of the cladding layer is stable and reliable. We systematically analyzed the microstructure, crack defects, phase composition, and microhardness of the Stellite 6 cladding layer under different process conditions and focused on the performance of the substrate and cladding layer when subjected to erosion to understand the effect of this process on the material properties. This study not only provides an important basis for optimizing the laser cladding process but also provides a useful reference for improving the surface strengthening effect and durability of complex components.