The microstructure and mechanical properties of Co/YCF102 composite coating

Purpose Laser cladding has been used in the field of repairing damaged parts of machine tools due to its advantages of less processing restrictions and easy formation of a good metallurgical bond with the base material. However, the mechanical properties of the coating sometimes cannot meet the process requirements. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to prepare coatings with high microhardness and flexural strength. Design/methodology/approach The YCF102 alloy powder was mixed with different contents of Co and tested for laser cladding on AISI 1045 substrate under the same process parameters. The main phase composition of the coating was revealed by the XRD results. The main chemical composition of the coating was determined by the SEM and EDS results. In addition, the effect of Co content on the microstructure, microhardness and flexural strength of the coatings was investigated. Findings The results show that when the Co content is 2 wt% and 4 wt%, Co does not form compounds with other elements, but is uniformly distributed in the coating. And when the Co content is 6 wt% and 8 wt%, the Co reacts with Fe in the coating and generates Co 3 Fe 7 in situ. The increase in Co did not result in a monotonic change in microhardness, but significantly improved the flexural strength and the flatness of the microstructure of the coating. When the Co content of the mixed powder is 8 wt%, the coating has high microhardness and flexural strength. Originality/value Co/YCF102 composite coating with high microhardness and flexural strength was prepared. This paper provides a theoretical and practical basis for research in the area of repairing damaged parts of machine tools by laser cladding.