Ti-based composite coatings reinforced by in situ synthesized TiB and TiC were deposited on Ti6AlaV substrates by laser cladding. The effects of Y2O3 on the microstructure and cracking susceptibility of the coatings were investigated in details. It is shown that a small amount of Y2O3 addition can significantly refine the microstructure of the coatings by hastening spheroidization of the primary phase structure. The maximum refinement in microstructure was obtained with the optimum （2 wt%） addition of Y2O3. Moreover, it can increase the volume fraction of TiC and reduce the residual stress of the coatings due to the decrease in lattice distortion of the α（Ti） matrix. All of these factors lead to the reduction in cracking susceptibility of the coatings containing Y2O3 on the premise that the hardness of the coatings is improved. The fracture toughness of the coatings without and with Y2O3 （2 wt%） is 8.32 and 17.36 MPa.m1/2, respectively. Scanning electron microscope examination reveals a transition of the fractured surfaces from cleavage fracture to quasi-cleavage fracture resulting from the Y2O3 addition.
Laser surface melting has been applied on a commercially pure Mg. The microstructure and texture modifications encountered in the surface layers were carefully investigated by using electron backscattered diffraction （EBSD） technique. Due to the melting followed by rapid solidification and cooling, a layer having graded microstructures and texture formed. At the bottom of the melted layer, the solidified Mg grains have an elongated shape with a 〈0001 〉 basal fibre texture nearly parallel to sample normal direction, while equiaxed grains were observed in the top melted layer having a much weaker basal fibre texture. Solidification twinning and deformation twinning were found in the vicinity of the melt/substrate interface where the Mg grains grow larger due to the heating. In addition, no epitaxial type grain growth was observed at the melt/substrate interface.
Titanium-based composite coatings with and without Y particles were deposited by laser cladding on Ti6Al4V substrates. Solidification microstructure,phase constituents and distribution of the reinforcements with different morphologies,were investigated by X-ray diffractometer （XRD）,scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and electron probe micro analyzer （EPMA）. In addition,the effects of the addition of Y on mechanical properties （in terms of microhardness and the cracking susceptibility） were also highlighted. The results showed that the coatings were composed of α-Ti cellular dendrites,coarse needle-shaped TiB phase and an eutectic in which a large number of needle-shaped TiB whiskers and a few equiaxial TiC particles were uniformly embedded. Y was not stable and was transformed into Y2O3 during laser cladding. The addition of Y could refine the microstructure of the coating by hastening the spheroidization of primary phase structure. Moreover,it could also decrease the activity of carbon and prevent solute atoms from traversing the interface and moving into primary phase structure,namely,increase the fraction volume of TiC in the coating. All of there factors made the cracking susceptibility of the coating containing Y reduced on the premise that microhardness of the coating was increased. Microhardness of the coating without Y ranged from HV 875.6 to HV 659.8,the average microhardness was about HV 747.9. For the coating with Y,microhardness changed from HV 876.5 to HV 741.5 and the average michardness was about HV 795.3. Fracture toughness of the upper,middle,bottom and interface of the coating without Y were 6.33,8.91,11.94 and 11.93 MPa.m1/2. Fracture toughness of the similar positions of the coating with Y were 8.58,12.93,13.81,17.11 MPa.m1/2,respectively. The coating with Y presented higher microhardness and fracture toughness in comparison with that without Y. Obviously,the addition of Y had a very positive effect on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the coatings.
A Ni-based composite coating reinforced by in situ synthesized TiB2 and TiC particles was fabricated on Ti6A14V by laser cladding. An attempt was made to correlate the thermodynamic predictions and experimental observation. The micro- structure and the microhardness profile across the coating were investigated by means of X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, energy dispersive spectroscopy （EDS）, and a hardness tester. It is found that the coating mainly consists of a large number of reinforcements （black blocky TiB2, flower-like or equiaxial TiC, and fine acicular CrB） and the 7 matrix. The hardness of TiB2, TiC, and CrB reinforcements is much higher than that of the 7 matrix. The dispersive distribu- tion of such high hardness reinforcements causes the increase in hardness of the whole coating. The average value of the hard- ness is approximately Hv0.2 700 in the coating. The hardness of the coating is obviously higher than that of the substrate due to the dispersion strengthening of reinforcements.
A titanium-based composite coating reinforced by in situ synthesized TiB and TiC particles was fabricated on Ti6A14V by laser cladding. The microstructure and mechanical properties were investigated. The coating was mainly composed of a-Ti cellular dendrites and an eutectic in which a large number of rod/ needle-shaped TiB and a few equiaxial TiC particles were homogeneously embedded. The microstructural evolution could be divided into four stages： precipitation and growth of primary fl-Ti phase, formation of the binary eutectic fl-Ti＋TiB, formation of the ternary eutectic fl-Ti＋TiB＋TiC, and solid transformation from fl-Ti to a-Ti. Microhardness of the coating showed a gradient variation from the surface （about HV0.2 876） to the bottom （about HV0.2 660） and was prominently improved in comparison with that of the substrate. Fracture toughness of the coating also exhibited a gradient variation from the surface （6.3 MPa-m1/2） to the interface （11.9 MPa-mV2）. Wear resistance of the coating was significantly superior to that of Ti6A14V.
