Non-equilibrium thermal processing of rapidly solidified high carbon iron-base alloy with pulsed laser radiation

A rapidly solidified high carbon iron-base alloy was rapidly heat treated by pulsed Nd:YAG laser irradiation. The rapidly solidified eutectic cementite (Fe₃C) was rapidly graphitized during the laser scanning. As a result, a novel iron-base alloy containing ultra fine nodular graphite and the alloy containing both rapidly solidified eutectic cementite and ultrafine graphite particles were fabricated. The unusual rapidity of the graphitization of cementite and the production of the above novel alloys were primarily attributed to the micro-annealing effect of the cycling temperature fluctuations induced by the pulsed Nd:YAG laser radiation.