The characteristics of a high-power diode laser fired enamel coating on a carbon steel

Significant changes to the wettability characteristics of a common engineer ing carbon steel (EN8) were effected after high power diode laser (HPDL) su rface treatment. These modifications have been investigated in terms of the changes in the surface roughness of the steel, the presence of any surface melting, the polar component of the steel surface energy and the relative surface O-2 content of the steel. The morphological and wetting characteris tics of the mild steel and the enamel were determined using optical microsc opy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, energy -dispersive X-ray analysis and wetting experiments by the sessile drop tech nique. This work has shown that HPDL radiation can be used to alter the wet ting characteristics of carbon steel so as to facilitate improved enamellin g. Furthermore, standard mechanical, physical and chemical testing of the H PDL-fired enamel glaze revealed the glaze to possess similar properties to those of a conventionally fired enamel glaze in terms of bond strength, rup ture:impact strength, wear and corrosion resistance. Such similar performan ce can be attributed to the two glazes possessing the same mechanical prope rties and similar amorphous structure, despite their very different firing techniques.