Effect of Pulse Current Stimulation on Wear and Thermal Fatigue Behavior of Biomimetic H13 Steel Processed by Laser Surface Melting

Wear and thermal cracking are the major reasons for the fatigue of a hot-work die; remarkable improvement has been achieved by laser biomimetic treatment in recent years. However, because of severe service conditions, the wear resistance and thermal fatigue behavior of a hot-work die should be further improved. Therefore, pulse current stimulation (PCS) was used to treat H13 steel processed by laser biomimetic treatment. The results indicate that the microstructures of the laser-melted zone and matrix were refined by PCS, thus increasing the hardness. Therefore, the wear resistance of laser biomimetic sample (LBS) was improved by PCS. The tensile strength of LBS at room temperature and 650°C increased with PCS. The residual compressive stress distributed on the surface of LBS is induced by PCS. Therefore, the LBS treated by PCS has the best thermal fatigue behavior.