Wear performance of laser surface hardened GCr15 steel

In order to assess the new tribological properties of laser surface hardened GCr15 steel, the wear resistance between specimens treated with laser and those of conventionally hardened under dry sliding conditions was compared. The change of wear mechanisms in laser hardened GCr15 resulted in a distinct difference in wear rates. The results showed that quenched zones not only had sufficient depth of hardening and higher hardness, but had more retained austenite and finer carbides because of a higher degree of carbide dissolution. Laser surface hardened GCr15 steel specimens exhibited superior wear resistance to their conventionally hardened specimens due to the effects of the microstructure hardening, high hardness and toughness. The wear mechanism for both the laser quenched layer and conventionally hardened layer was highly similar, generally involving adhesive, material transfer, wear-induced oxidation and plowing. When conventionally hardened block specimens rubbed against the laser hardened specimens, the surface of conventionally hardened block specimens was polished. The microstructural thermal stability was increased after laser surface treatment.