Laser cladding of ASTM S31254 stainless steel on a plain carbon steel substrate

Surface layers of ASTM S31254 stainless steel were deposited on a plain carbon steel substrate by laser cladding, using the blown powder technique. It was found that a careful selection of laser treatment parameters results in clad layers with a homogeneous chemical composition and free of defects. No significant loss of alloying elements (Cr, Ni, Mo and N) was observed. The structure was austenitic, composed of very fine cellular dendrites. The anodic polarization behaviour was similar to the commercial bulk ahoy, even in very aggressive solutions. The corrosion pits that appeared in the clad layers during long duration exposure tests were smaller than in the commercial alloy.