Microstructure and Sliding Wear Resistance of Laser Cladded WC/Ni Composite Coatings with Different Contents of WC Particle

The aim of this article was to address the effect of WC content on the microstructure, microhardness, and sliding wear resistance of laser cladded WC/Ni composite coatings. The content of WC particle in the feed powder varied in the range of 0-80 wt.%. Experimental results showed that the laser cladded coatings exhibited homogeneous microstructure without pores or cracks. By comparing with the 45# steel substrate, the microhardness of WC/Ni composite coatings was relatively high. The microhardness of coating increased with increasing the content of WC particles. The wear resistance of WC/Ni composite coatings was strongly dependent on the content of WC particle and their microstructure. When the WC content was lower than 40 wt.% in the feed powder, the wear rate of the coatings decreased with increasing WC content. The two-body abrasive wear was identified as the main wear mechanisms. For the coatings with WC content higher than 40 wt.% in the feed powder, their wear rate increased with increasing WC content. The three-body abrasive wear and fatigue wear were the main failures. The coating with 40 wt.% WC in the feed powder exhibited the best wear resistance.