Dispersion behavior of TiB2 particles in AISI D2 tool steel surfaces during pulsed laser dispersing and their influence on material properties

Abstract AISI D2 is one of the most applied cold-working tool steel for deep drawing operations, due to the materials good toughness and high wear resistance. However, since the lubricant-free deep drawing as well as the processing of high strength and ultra-high strength steel sheets remaining ongoing trends in the automotive industry, the tool surfaces need to be improved regarding their friction and wear behavior. For this purpose elevated micro textures can be applied. Since protruded micro features are predominantly affected by wear, a structuring process enabling the formation of suitable textures with high wear resistance is needed. In this paper surface texturing at microscale was conducted by laser implantation. This technique allows the fabrication of highly wear resistant, separated and elevated features (implants) on steel surfaces via a discontinuous dispersing of ceramic particles by pulsed laser radiation. The aim of this study was to investigate the techniques potential for the creation of wear resistant elevated micro features on AISI D2 tool steel surfaces by the application of TiB2 particles. The laser parameters (pulse power and length) were varied and a comparative material analysis on AISI D2 laser remelted spots and TiB2 localized dispersed zones was examined. High-speed camera recordings allowed the description of the particle insertion mechanism from pre-coatings during laser processing. Mechanical properties were analyzed by (micro-) hardness measurements at top and cross sections. The microstructure was investigated by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The implants geometrical properties (diameter, height, depth) were investigated by white light interferometry and optical microscopy. The experiments reveal that a pulsed laser remelting of AISI D2 leads to a significant hardness drop due to high retained austenite (γR) contents. Contrary, a localized dispersing of TiB2 particles leads to defect free dome- or ring-shaped elevated features with hardness values up to 1800 HV1. The high hardness values result from the dispersed TiB2 particles and an in-situ precipitation of new hard particle phases, which lead to a reduction of the γR content within the matrix.