Laser cladding of Inconel 718 coating on stainless steel surface

Abstract An Inconel 718 coating was applied to the surface of 316L stainless steel to enhance its wear resistance. The coating's phase composition, element distribution, microstructure, hardness, and wear resistance were analyzed. The results revealed that the Inconel 718 coating comprised the γ~(Fe, Ni) solid solution, Ni3Nb, (Nb0.03Ti0.97)Ni3, and MCX (M=Cr, Nb, Mo). The coating achieved a maximum hardness of 640.2 HV0.2, which is more than three times that of the substrate. The main wear mechanisms of the coating are adhesive and abrasive wear, with a wear rate of 2.97 × 10−5 mm3 ∙ N−1 ∙ min−1. In the coating bonding zone, relatively coarse cellular and columnar crystals grew perpendicular to the planar crystals. The central region was predominantly composed of dendritic crystals, while a small amount of equiaxed crystals formed in the upper region. This work can provide guidance for surface strengthening of stainless steel.