Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Flame-Sprayed PEEK Coating Remelted by Laser Process

In this investigation, flame spraying is used to deposit polyether ether ketone (PEEK) layers on stainless steel substrates and CO₂ and Nd:YAG laser remelting treatments are performed to densify the deposited material. Microstructural analysis of the as-sprayed and remelted coatings shows that both lasers are suitable for densifying PEEK polymer layers on stainless steel and that the resulting crystalline structure depends on laser processing parameters. Hardness measurements and tribological and scratch tests are also carried out and the results are correlated with microstructure.