Founding Research Journal

Founding Research Journal

Thermal Simulation of Laser Cladding Process of High Entropy Alloy TiNiCrMoW-ZrB2 Coating on IN738 Superalloy

Document Type : Original Research Article

Authors
1 PhD Student, Department of Materials Engineering, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran
2 Associate Professor, Department of Materials Engineering, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran
3 PhD in Materials Engineering, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran
4 Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Amirta University of Engineering, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Coimbatore 641112, India
10.22034/frj.2025.556115.1214
Abstract
In this study, the laser cladding of high entropy alloy TiNiCrMoW-ZrB2 coating on Inconel 738 (IN738) superalloy was numerically simulated using Sysweld software. The aim was to accurately predict the temperature field, temperature gradients, molten pool dimensions, and investigate the effect of process parameters such as laser power, scanning speed, and powder feed rate on the microstructure and final quality of the coating. The 3D finite element model designed by considering conductive, convective, and radiative heat transfer was able to reproduce the thermal behavior of the process with high accuracy. In numerical modeling, a Gaussian heat source with an elliptical power distribution was used to accurately represent the laser beam, and boundary conditions including conduction in the substrate, surface convection, and thermal radiation to the environment were applied to reproduce the real heat transfer behavior in the simulation process. The simulation results showed that increasing the laser power and decreasing the scanning speed led to an increase in the molten pool temperature, improved melting, and metallurgical bonding to the substrate. Comparison of numerical data with experimental results obtained from thermocouple measurements showed very good agreement, which confirms the accuracy of the model. Overall, the use of thermal simulation is an effective method to optimize process parameters, reduce costs, and gain a deeper understanding of the thermal and microstructural behavior of high-entropy alloys in laser cladding.
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