RAPID GRAPHITIZATION OF A PULSED-LASER REMELTED DUCTILE CAST-IRON DURING MULTIPASS OVERLAP MELTING

As-cast ductile cast iron with an as-machined shiny metal surface was remelted with a high power (1 kW) pulsed Nd:YAG laser using both singl e- and multipass overlap melt tracks. Changes in the microstructure of the underlying laser melted track caused by the transient overlap hea ting during multipass overlap remelting process were studied. The rapi dly solidified metastable ledeburite structure of the underlying laser melted track was found to be rapidly graphitized during overlap remel ting. The graphitized zone consists of a fully graphitized zone contai ning extremely fine graphite nodules and a partially graphitized zone containing extremely fine graphite nodules and undissolved cementite. The overlap ratios of the melt tracks were shown to have no noticeable influence on either the graphitized microstructure and the size of th e graphitization zones. This newly observed rapid graphitization pheno menon is preliminarily discussed in terms of the microstructural chara cteristics of the rapidly solidified ductile iron and the unique heati ng behavior of pulsed laser beam to material.