Abstract:The laser surface melting of an antiferromagnetic Fe32Mn3Al7Cr precision resistance alloy has been performed using a continuous CO2 laser, in order to improve the corrosion resistance. The microstructure, the phase structure, the microhardness and the corrosion property of the laser surface melted Fe32Mn3Al7Cr alloy were investigated. The laser surface melting layer was constructed by a fine equiaxed cellular crystal, a columnar dendritic crystal, and heat-effected matrix. A single austenite phase of the laser surface melting layer was obtained in the depth of about 650 mm. The microhardness of the laser surface melting layer was increased up to HV0.5 N 32 GPa from HV0.5 N 16 GPa of the austenite matrix. The anodic polarization behavior of the laser surface melting layers at the 100 μm and 350 μm depths, respectively, was evaluated in 1 mol/l Na2SO4 solution. Their self-passivation was observed instead of an active-passivation of the original alloy, with higher corrosion potentials of –420 mV(SCE) and –478 mV(CSE) and lower passive current densities of 1.3 μA/cm2 and 1.0 μA/cm2 than that of –658 mV(SCE) and 2.9 μA/cm2 for the austenite matrix. In 0.1 mol/l NaCl solution at pH=14, the laser surface melting layer exhibited an apparent improvement of the pitting corrosion resistance with no pitting corrosion. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) of the laser surface melting layer has the larger diameter of capacitive arc, the higher impedance modulus |Z|, the wider phase degree range, compared to that of the original alloy. The polarization resistant Rt of the melting layer fitted by using an equivalent electric circuit of Rs-(Rt//CPE) increased to 38.7 kΩ·cm2 from 13.8 kΩ·cm2 and the calculated effective capacitance CB decreased to 19.7 μF/cm2 from 32.5 μF/cm2. The laser surface melting led to a significant improvement of corrosion resistance of Fe32Mn3Al7Cr alloy