Effect of WC-12Co on the mechanical and wear performance of laser melting deposition nickel-based alloy

The work investigated the effect of WC-12Co on microstructure, tribological characteristics, and mechanical properties of Ni-Cu alloy using laser melting deposition. The microstructure of WC-12Co/Ni-Cu coatings revealed that WC particles dissolve and diffuse during laser cladding, resulting in finer microstructure and compound formation (Co0.52Cu0.48) in Ni-Cu alloy, as confirmed by XRD, SEM, and EDS results. Although WC particles can improve the hardness of Ni-Cu alloys, 10 wt% of them are insufficient to significantly reach such hardness. The wear test findings indicated that wear resistance was enhanced due to the influence of WC particles on the substrate. The wear rate of WC-12Co/Ni-Cu decreased from 14.5 × 10-3 mg/m to 2.12 × 10-3 mg/m, and abrasive wear is dominant at room temperature. The WC fracture mechanism and mechanical behavior of the two specimens were analyzed using a uniaxial tensile test at room temperature. The tensile strength was enhanced from 804 to901.7 MPa under the influence of WC particles. Although the tensile properties of material were improved, the plasticity was unsatisfactory.