Enhancing Corrosion and Wear Resistance of Aluminum Bronze Alloy by Nanosecond Pulsed Laser Surface Melting

Abstract

Aluminum bronze alloys are widely used in marine engineering components due to their good mechanical properties, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance. However, surface degradation such as wear and corrosion remains a challenge during long-term service. In this study, nanosecond pulsed laser surface melting (LSM) was applied to an aluminum bronze alloy at different laser powers to improve its surface performance. The results show that LSM treatment leads to the formation of a remelted layer with increased content of the martensitic β’ phase and reduced α phase. The sample treated at 140 W (L2) exhibited the highest surface hardness (186.957 HV, 36.42% higher than that of the untreated sample) and the smallest wear scar width (763.5 μm, a 24.33% reduction). The L2 also achieved the best corrosion resistance, with a corrosion potential of −0.26515 V (increased by 0.03 V), corrosion current density of 5.34145 μA/cm2, and polarization resistance of 3382.9 Ω·cm2. The improved performance is attributed to the formation of martensite and the increase in aluminum-rich phases on the surface.