Structure and properties of laser-cladded Ni-based amorphous composite coatings

A (Ni0.6Fe0.4)(65)B18Si10Nb4C3 amorphous composite coating has been fabricated on a mild steel substrate by a laser cladding process under different heat inputs. Observation of the structure and phase showed that the thickness of the coating decreased and the amorphous fraction increased when the laser cladding heat input was lower. The cooling rate increases when the heat input decreases, which favours the formation of amorphous phase. Microhardness and wear resistance test results indicated that a lower heat input led to higher microhardness and better wear resistance of the coating. An average microhardness of 1187.0 HV0.2 was obtained with a heat input of 69 J mm(-1).