Microstructure and properties of IN718/WC-12Co composite coating by laser cladding

To improve microhardness and tribological properties of IN718, WC-12Co particles were added to it by the laser cladding. This study investigated the effect of the content of WC-12Co on the microstructure, phase composition, microhardness, tribological properties and machinability of the composite coating. The results shows that WC-12Co can inhibit the growth of columnar grains and the (200) growth direction of γ-Ni, and refine the microstructure. The average microhardness of coating increases from 245.83HV0.5 to 462.63HV0.5 with the increase of WC-12Co content. The coating containing 30% wt. WC-12Co has the smallest wear loss, that is, the best wear resistance. However, the coating containing 20 wt% WC-12Co has the lowest COF (0.518), that is, the best antifriction capability. With the increase of WC-12Co content, the milling force increases and the instability of the cutting process is aggravated. Moreover, with the addition of WC-12Co, the wear mechanism changed from adhesive wear to abrasive wear and oxidation wear.