Effect of Laser Processing Patterns on the Bonding Interface Quality during Laser Sintering of Magnesium Alloys with Zirconia

The quality of the ceramic sintered coating on a metal surface through laser surface treatment is affected by the laser irradiation pattern. Depending on the laser irradiation pattern, the amount of residual stress and heat applied or accumulated on the surface increases or decreases, affecting the thickness attained in the ceramic sintering area. When the heat energy accumulated in the sintering area is high, the ceramic and the metal alloy melt and sufficiently mix to form a homogeneous and thick bonding interface. In this study, the thermal energy accumulation in the region sintered with zirconia was controlled using four types of laser processing patterns. The thickness of the diffusion region is analyzed by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy of Mg ZrO – 2 generated by laser sintering zirconia powder on the magnesium alloy surface. On the basis of the analysis of the Mg and Zr present in the sintered region through LIBS, the effect of the irradiation pattern on the sintering quality is confirmed by comparing and analyzing the heat and mass transfer tendency of the diffusion layer and the degree of diffusion according to the irradiation pattern. The derived diffusion coefficients differed by up to 9.8 times for each laser scanning pattern.