Surface modification of TiAl intermetallic alloys by laser gas alloying

Laser gas alloying with nitrogen was employed to improve the wear resistance of TiAl intermetallic alloys. The rapidly solidified in situ wear resistant composite materials re-inforced by hard TiN were successfully fabricated in the laser modified surface layer. The microstructure and properties of the laser modified surface are controllable by the laser pro cessing parameters. Results of the research demonstrate preliminarily that laser gas alloying with nitrogen is a promising new surface modification technique for improving the wear re-sistance of TiAl intermetallic alloys.