ABSTRACT
Precipitation-hardened aluminum alloys can be categorized as lightweight alloys for use in aircraft, automobile, and sports industries. However, these alloys are often reported to exhibit insufficient corrosion resistance, stress-corrosion cracking resistance, and wear resistance properties for applications in these industries. Significant efforts are now directed toward modifying the surface characteristics of these alloys for the purpose of achieving improved surface properties. Laser surface engineering of aluminum alloys has shown considerable scientific interest due to unique processing features such as noncontact heating, rapid cooling rate, and superior process control. This paper presents a critical review of important investigations pertaining to laser surface engineering of the three most common precipitation-hardened aluminum alloys: 2024, 6061, and 7075 alloys. An assessment of the reported data aimed at understanding the influence of laser processing parameters such as laser power, scanning velocity, laser wavelength, and chemical composition of the alloys on the development of microstructure and mechanical/electrochemical properties is presented and discussed.
