Effect of Vanadium Carbide Reinforced Particles on Wear Resistance of Laser Cladding Fe-Co Duplex Coating

In this study, Fe-Co duplex coating reinforced by vanadium carbide (VC) was prepared on copper substrate by laser cladding. The experimental results indicated that no cracks and porosity were observed within the cladding layer. The microstructure of the Co-based layer was mainly composed of dendrite and eutectic structures. The grains refined and transformed from dendrites to equiaxed crystals with the increase in VC fraction. Meanwhile, the microhardness and wear resistance of the composite coating increased notably with the addition of VC. The microhardness and wear resistance of coating reached to its maximum value when Co-based alloy powders were mixed with 15 wt.% VC. This exceptional microhardness and wear resistance improvement come from the formation of solid solution strengthening, grain refinement strengthening, and second phase strengthening. Based on the obtained results, the incorporation of VC is attainable to improve the wear resistance of Co-based alloy coatings.