Laser treatment of alumina surface with chemically distinct carbide particles

Laser treatment of pre-prepared alumina tile surface with a carbon film containing a mixture of 3 wt% TiC and 3 wt% B₄C hard particles was conducted. Morphological and metallurgical changes at the laser treated surface were examined using optical and electron scanning microscopes, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Microhardness and fracture toughness of the treated surface were measured together with indentation tests. Residual stress generated at the surface region was determined from the X-ray diffraction data. It was found that TiC and B₄C hard particles cause micro-crack formation in the vicinity of hard particles on the surface. This behavior is attributed to the differences between the thermal expansion coefficients of these particles. The laser treated surface is composed of a dense layer with fine sized grains and columnar structures formed below the dense layer. The presence of hard particles enhances the microhardness and lowers the fracture toughness of the surface. The formation of nitride compounds (AlN and AlON) contributes to volume shrinkage in the dense layer. Residual stress formed in the surface region is compressive.