Haynes 282 is a γ' strengthened Ni-base superalloy aimed at high-temperature structural applications such as gas turbine engines. It is also being considered a promising candidate for use in advanced ultra-supercritical plants due to its excellent high-temperature strength, creep resistance, fabricability, and weldability. To avoid the cost of replacement of damaged or service-degraded components, it is important to explore the repairability of this alloy. Laser surface remelting (LSR) is one of the techniques used to repair components as well as to improve tribological properties such as surface roughness and hardness. In this work, we explore the effect of LSR on wrought Haynes 282 in solutionized condition.

Selecting correct laser parameters for attaining the required dimensions of the remelted area is essential for applications. Hence, we first determine the influence of remelting parameters, viz., laser power (P) and scan velocity (v), on the measured penetration depth (d) and width (w) of the remelted zone. These parameters are systematically varied and their combined effect on d and w is presented. Both depth and width appear to increase with the P/v ratio, i.e., the linear heat input. LSR results in an increase in the hardness of the remelted zone for all parameters, which is attributed to its fine dendritic structure as opposed to the large grains in the base metal plate. However, the hardness depends on the process parameters in a more complex fashion which is explored further using the recorded temperature history. Solute partitioning under the fairly rapid solidification conditions of LSR is analyzed through microsegregation patterns, which are then compared with thermodynamic predictions made using Thermo-Calc. In summary, the study offers insight into the effect of LSR on the microstructural aspects of a γ'-strengthened superalloy as well as provides information for potential applications.