Microstructure and mechanical properties of 34CrNiMo6 steel repaired by laser remelting

Laser remelting can be used not only to improve the metal surface structure, but also to repair metal surface defects. 34CrNiMo6 belongs to European standard high strength alloy structural steel. It has been widely used in the manufacture of large-size shaft parts which are prone to defects such as cracks and wear during service. This study proposed a repair method for these defects by laser remelting the filled block and then performed heat treatment. The microstructure, m9icrohardness and tensile strength of the repaired sample and heat-treated sample were analyzed using scanning electron microscope (SEM), Vickers hardness tester and universal tensile tester. The final results showed that the metallurgical bonding between the substrate and the filler was good. The microstructure of repaired sample could be divided into three regions: I, II, and III. The main microstructure in region I and II was tempered martensite, and in region III was bainite and martensite. Different regions of repaired sample presented uneven hardness distribution, and the fracture mode was quasi-cleavage fracture. However, after heat treatment, the microstructure of the sample was tempered martensite. Its hardness became uniform, and the fracture mode of the heat-treated sample was ductile fracture. The average hardness value of the heat-treated sample was 296.4HV(0.2), which was slightly higher than the substrate. The tensile strength value of the heat-treated sample reached 972.91MPa, which was about 99.3 % of substrate, and its elongation delta was 14.25 %. Overall, the mechanical properties were close to those of the forging. (C) 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V.