Synergistic improvement of wear and corrosion resistance of CoCrNiMoCB coatings obtained by laser cladding: Role of Mo concentration

[Display omitted] •A synergistic improvement of wear and corrosion resistance was realized with the increasing content of Mo.•Mo can enhanced pitting resistance, and pitting can be eliminated with the addition of Mo between 4 at.% to 8 at.%•Coherent interfaces and their composition transition explain the excellent wear and corrosion improvement of the coatings. Herein, ceramic-reinforced CoCrNiMoxCB high-entropy alloy coatings were prepared by laser cladding, and the synergistic improvement of wear and corrosion resistance was realized. The effects of molybdenum on the phases, microstructures, and chemical compositions of the coatings were also studied. Wear mechanisms changed from adhesive wear to abrasive plough with the increase of Mo content, leading to excellent improvement in wear resistance. The corrosion resistance was remarkably improved with excellent passive ability and pitting resistance. Coherent interfaces and composition transition at the interfaces provide a nano-scale explanation for the excellent wear and corrosion trade-off of the Mo-8 coating. The results show that the wear and corrosion resistance of the coatings can be improved with the addition of molybdenum.