Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectrometry for Analyzing the Composition of the Products during Coaxial Laser Cladding

We demonstrate the possibility of the quantitative multielement analysis of a composite wear-resistant coating (tungsten carbide particles in chromium–nickel matrix) during its synthesis by coaxial laser cladding. The developed probe for the laser-induced breakdown spectrometry (LIBS) was used for the online analysis of the concentration of carbon, tungsten, and nickel in the process of applying a wear-resistant coating. The results of online LIBS measurements agreed closely with the results of the offline analyses using conventional methods such as X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, X-ray spectral electron probe microanalysis, and the combustion infrared absorption method using a LECO gas analyzer.