Research Projects

Surface degradation by wear and corrosion causes huge financial losses and operational costs in various industrial practices. Protection through surface engineering involving tailoring of surface microstructure and composition is the most logical strategy to mitigate and/or prevent such widespread surface damages caused by corrosion, wear, friction, oxidation, and similar degradation processes. Hard chrome plating (HCP) is a well-established conventional approach of electrodeposition of chromium on steel surfaces to provide resistance to wear and corrosion by way of conversion of chromium into its oxide in the real service environment. However, HCP is practically banned or is under serious sanction in several European, North American and South Asian countries due to the scope of severe health hazards by hexavalent chromium present in large quantities in the chromium plating bath and its effluent. Large-scale consumption and wastage of water in aqueous plating baths is also a major concern. Therefore, developing a suitable substitute for HCP is a major aim for industries relying on HCP-based protection of engineering components. The present proposal aims to develop appropriate substitution of HCP by laser surface cladding (LSC) of appropriate martensitic and austenitic metallic alloys to obtain improved resistance to wear and corrosion damages. The investigations will focus on the cladding of piston rods, rings and the inner wall of hydraulic cylinders used in automobiles, the internal combustion engine and several other manufacturing units. Following LSC detailed investigations will be undertaken to characterize the microstructure, phase aggregate, micro-composition, and assess relevant properties like hardness, surface topography, wear and corrosion resistance of the clad. Finally, this study will provide an optimum LSC routine that will ensure extended service life and improved efficiency by establishing suitable microstructure - property - process parameters correlation.