Progress and prospects of ceramic particle-reinforced titanium matrix composite coatings by laser cladding on titanium alloy surfaces

Abstract:

Titanium alloys exhibit great application potential in deep-earth drilling equipment owing to their low density， high specific strength， and excellent corrosion resistance. However， their inherent drawbacks-such as low hardness， insufficient wear resistance， and susceptibility to high-temperature oxidation-severely restrict large-scale engineering applications downhole. Laser cladding of ceramic particle-reinforced titanium matrix composite coatings is a key surface modification technology to enhance the surface performance of titanium alloys. This paper systematically reviews the research progress on laser cladding modification of titanium alloys. The fundamental principles of laser cladding and the governing effects of process parameters on coating microstructure and properties are elucidated， and the advantages， disadvantages， and applicable conditions of two types of parameter optimization methods-traditional experimental design and intelligent optimization algorithms-are compared. Furthermore， the classification and material selection criteria of ceramic reinforcing phases are systematically reviewed， and research achievements on titanium matrix composite coatings are summarized from three dimensions： wear resistance， corrosion resistance， and high-temperature oxidation resistance. Most existing studies have focused only on single performance tests， while research on coating failure mechanisms under the multi-field coupled environment of "high temperature-wear-corrosion" in deep downhole conditions remains insufficient. Future efforts should be directed toward the intelligent design of cladding powder systems， the development of hybrid auxiliary cladding processes， and the investigation of multi-field coupled failure mechanisms， so as to provide a theoretical basis for the life extension design and service reliability evaluation of titanium alloy drilling tools in deep-earth drilling.