Characterization of gradient Ni-Fe/SiC composite coating on mild steel by thermal spraying in combination with laser cladding

Metal matrix composite coating Ni-Fe/SiC was prepared on an iron-based substrate bythermal spraying combined with laser cladding,using SiC particulates as the reinforcing agent.The micro-structures of the coatings formed at different thermal spraying and laser cladding conditions were character-ized by means of X-ray diffraction and electron probe microanalysis.The thermal oxidation properties of themixed powders composed of different content of SiC particulates and relevant Ni-based alloy as the balancewere examined using differential scanning calorimetry.The hardness profile of the thermal sprayed and lasercladding coatings was investigated as well.It was found that SiO2particulates were generated and dissolvedand dispersed during the melting and solidification of the laser cladding process,which was ascribed to theoxidation of the dispersed SiC particulates.The micro-hardness depth profile of the target laser claddingcomposite coating was characterized by gradient distribution,which could be related to the gradient distribu-tion of the hard SiC and SiO2particulates in the dendrites and interdendrites of the cladding layer.Both SiCand SiO2particulates contributed to greatly increasing the microhardness and mechanical properties of the ti-tled laser cladding composite coatings.