WELDABILITY OF COBALT ALLOYS BY HYBRID METHODS.

The article presents the current state of the use of cobalt in various industries and its possible elimination in the field of welding. In this area, it is used in the form of cobalt alloys which are affected by various mechanical and chemical influences. These alloys are produced by the secondary metallurgical area. The primary area is the chemical industry which reserves all the use of cobalt for the production of Li-ion batteries for electric vehicles at an increasing price. The primary area is the chemical industry which reserves all the use of cobalt for the production of Li-ion batteries for electric vehicles at an increasing price. As it becomes unprofitable for other areas, its savings must be sought. From the point of view of welding technology, the solution could be the use of unconventional and hybrid methods that do not require filler material for the connection of elements. Based on these aspects, the methods of a laser beam, electron beam, and combination of a laser beam with TIG method were selected. Verification of the suitability of the use of the mentioned methods was performed on the abrasion-resistant alloy Stellite 6B. The quality of the joints was evaluated by destructive methods such as microstructure, macrostructure, microhardness, and EDS. After evaluating the results of all samples, the hybrid method in the combination of a laser beam and TIG method seems to be the best. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]