LASER-SURFACE TREATMENT OF ALUMINUM-ALLOY-6061 WITH SIC POWDER INJECTION - STUDY OF MICROSTRUCTURE AND WEAR BEHAVIOR

'The microstructure and mechanical properties (hardness and wear resis tance) of aluminum Alloy 6061 were studied via laser-induced melting, with SIC particle injection. The upper part of the laser-treated zone was strongly alloyed, showing a fine microstructure with varied morpho logy and very high microhardness values (500 HV0.03), compared to the substrate (60 HV0.03). In the lower part of this zone, SIC particles r emained completely unreacted and had only mechanical adhesion with the matrix. Wear tests revealed that extremely high wear resistance (10 t imes greater than the untreated substrate surface) resulted from this laser surface treatment technique when a 50-N load was applied.