Study on the effect of oxygen content on the microstructure and properties of 42CrMo fabricated via Laser cladding

Two different 42CrMo powders were employed for laser cladding under identical experimental conditions: one produced via vacuum induction gas atomization (VIGA), and the other via plasma rotating electrode process (PREP). Subsequently, PREP powder containing 9 wt.% WC particles was laser cladded under controlled oxygen environments ranging from 0 to 21%. Experimental results indicated that decreasing the oxygen content and introducing argon significantly enhanced the impact toughness and microhardness of the cladding layer. Oxygen control effectively suppressed oxidation of iron elements and the reinforcement phase with the molten pool and post-oxidation of the hot metal. The incorporation of WC, as a reinforcing particles led to improved impact toughness and microhardness.