KrF excimer laser has been used for physical and chemical transformations of metallic materials and coated metal samples. Aluminum alloys, steels and chromium coated mild steel have been treated under excimer laser radiation in order to improve their mechanical properties and their corrosion and oxidation resistance. The laser surface treatment leads, after surface remelting process, to important changes in the topography, the microstructure, the phases and the chemical composition of the near-surface region resulting in different hardness, wear properties and corrosion/oxidation behavior. We focus this paper on aluminum alloys (2000 and 6000 type) and steels irradiated using a krypton fluoride laser (20 ns, 0.5 - 10 J/cm2, up to 200 Hz) in laboratory air. The analysis were carried out by means of scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, coupled and low incidence angle X-ray diffraction, microhardness tester and electrochemical test equipments.
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