CO2 laser processing has been carried out on pure aluminum substrates for travel speeds from 0.3 to 6.1 mm/s, using laser powers of about 100 W or 300 W, with various preplaced single or mixed powders including CoO, NiO, SiO2, Fe2O3 or TiO2 usually combined with enough aluminum powder to permit complete reduction of the oxides. The 100 W laser experiments included low, normal and high gravity experiments. The resulting tracks were tested qualitatively for scratch resistance, and examined metallographically. Two types of surfacing were observed; continuous oxide layers produced by melting and an oxidation- reduction reaction of the original oxides with aluminum, and alloying of the substrate by elements reduced by the reaction. Low gravity experiments produced more uniform thicknesses and generally less cracking in the continuous oxides than normal or high gravity experiments. Alloying of the substrate ranged from almost 100% intermetallic layers at low laser powers and low travel speeds to complex mixtures and bands of different phases, depending on the temporal stability of the process, the powder composition and thickness, the laser power and travel speed. Optimization of the process could provide useful wear resistant coatings in a space environment.
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