J Mater Sci Technol ›› 2001, Vol. 17 ›› Issue (02): 237-239.

• Research Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Use of a Laser/TIG combination for surface modification of Ti-6Al-4V alloy

M.Labudovic, R.Kovacevic   

  1. Southern Methodist University, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Dallas, Texas, U.S.A.
  • Received:2000-06-05 Revised:1900-01-01 Online:2001-03-28 Published:2009-10-10
  • Contact: R.Kovacevic

Abstract: The surface modification of materials such as Ti-6Al-4V is necessary to improve their wear resistant properties for use in tribological applications, in this paper it is shown that a laser with low power and tungsten inert gas (TIG) can be combined together for surface modification of Ti-6Al-4V alloy, and when performed in a controlled atmosphere of pure nitrogen or a mixture of nitrogen and argon, can produce a wear-resistant surface alloy. Compared with laser processing, a cheaper surface modification process has been developed involving a shorter processing time, which is free of stringent requirements such as a vacuum system.

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