Abstract:
Surface modification is essential to safeguard heat exchangers from premature failure spurred
by deterioration mechanisms such as corrosion and wear, which diminish performance.
Meanwhile, modifying some substrates with dissimilar materials is challenging due to a
mismatch in material properties. Moreover, individual alloy coatings on substrates are
usually insufficient in the required material properties, leading to accelerated failure of
equipment, especially in power plant industries. This article summarised the knowledge
base on functionally graded materials (FGMs) while emphasising how this promising class of
novel materials can reduce deterioration. Additionally, laser cladding is established to be a
suitable technique for processing FGMs. A particular focus is laid on the laser beam
interaction with the FGM and expounding on the processing and material parameters that
affect the microstructural properties of FGMs. The development prospects for processing
FGMs with superior clad quality characteristics to increase boiler pipes’ service life and
performance are also highlighted
