Surface vitrification of alloys by laser surface treatment

With laser surface treatment (LST) method, the surfaces of Zr-, Cu-, Fe- and Al-based alloys were melted and amorphous or amorphous-crystalline composite structures were synthesized, which were related to the different glass-forming ability of the alloys. Influences of laser processing parameters on glass formation for Cu(60)Zr(30)Ti(10) alloy were investigated and the laser treated alloy exhibited a gradient structure: amorphous surface, amorphous-crystalline composites transitional region and crystalline substrate. Temperature distributions and thermal profiles of the treated Cu(60)Zr(30)Ti(10) alloy during the laser process were simulated using finite volume method. The formation mechanism of the gradient structure is discussed based on the experimental and simulated results. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.