Boundary lubrication properties of surface modified material produced by laser and electron beam surface alloying

The surface-modified material can be produced by laser and electron beam surface alloying of a plasma-sprayed molybdenum layer on Cr-Mo steel. The boundary lubrication properties and the metal structure of the surface alloy have been investigated. The main points of this study are as follows. 1. The surface alloy is thick, about 5 mm, and of uniform composition. 2. The surface alloy shows good wear resistance and good seizure resistance, in the same level as electroplated chromium and plasma-sprayed molybdenum layers. 3. Good wear resistance is attributable to the metal structure which is composed of hard M6C phase and soft α−Fe phase. Presented as a Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers paper at the ASME/STLE Tribology Conference in San Diego, California, October 19–21, 1992