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Article

The Effect of Laser-Cladded Co6, T400, and Ni-Based 30WC Coatings on the Wear Resistance of H13 Steel

by
Haibo Zhang
1,
Jingyu Zhuang
1,* and
Juncheng Li
2
1
School of Mechanical Engineering, Northeast Electric Power University, Jilin 132012, China
2
GuoNeng ZheJiang YuYao Fuel Gas Power Generation Co., Ltd., Yuyao 315400, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Coatings 2024, 14(1), 114; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14010114
Submission received: 14 December 2023 / Revised: 2 January 2024 / Accepted: 12 January 2024 / Published: 15 January 2024
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Corrosion Resistance, Mechanical Properties and Characterization of Metallic Materials and Coatings)
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Abstract

:
To enhance the wear resistance of H13 steel (4Cr5MoSiV1), Co6, T400, and Ni-based 30WC coatings were applied to the surface of H13 steel using laser cladding technology. The microstructures and phase compositions of the three coating types were analyzed using SEM and XRD methods. The high-temperature friction and wear performance of the three coated samples and H13 steel were measured through high-temperature friction wear tests, and the friction wear types of the four samples were analyzed. A comparative analysis of experimental data led to the following conclusions: (1) Among the four samples, the Ni-based 30WC-coated sample exhibited the best self-lubricating properties. (2) The average wear area of H13 steel was 0.059 mm2, and the wear volume was 0.29 mm3; the average wear area of Co6-coated samples was 0.050 mm2, and the wear volume was 0.25 mm3; the average wear area of T400-coated samples was 0.002 mm2, and the wear volume was 0.01 mm3; and the average wear area of the Ni-based 30WC-coated sample was 0.035 mm2, and the wear volume was 0.17 mm3. In terms of wear resistance, the ranking from highest to lowest was: T400-coated sample > Ni-based 30WC-coated sample > Co6-coated sample > H13 steel. (3) Based on the classification of friction wear types, H13 steel primarily exhibited adhesive wear and oxidized wear; the Co6- and T400-coated samples primarily showed adhesive wear, abrasive wear and oxidized wear; and the Ni-based 30WC-coated sample mainly exhibited abrasive wear and oxidized wear.

1. Introduction

With the development of the mold manufacturing industry, mold steel is widely used in industrial production, especially H13 steel (4Cr5MoSiV1). Although the H13 steel itself has good thermal strength, thermal fatigue resistance and other properties, during actual production, the surface of H13 steel is often subjected to high-temperature friction and molten metal solution wear-and-tear damage, leading to H13 steel failure. This increases the production costs of enterprises, causing economic losses, and brings about the problem of environmental pollution. Therefore, studying how to improve the resistance of the H13 steel surface to high-temperature friction and wear performance has become the focus of the current research.
Scholars both domestically and internationally have conducted extensive research on improving the high-temperature wear resistance of H13 steel. Shang et al. [1] improved the wear resistance of H13 steel sixfold compared to conventional treatments by preparing tantalum, niobium, and vanadium diffusion layers on the surface of H13 steel. Chen et al. [2] further prepared zeolite coatings on H13 steel surfaces treated with carbonitriding via hydrothermal synthesis. According to the results of friction wear tests, the zeolite-coated H13 steel showed significantly lower wear profiles and rates than the carbonitrided H13 steel. Perdroso et al. [3] developed a composite coating system of TiAlN on nitrided H13 steel, which demonstrated sliding wear resistance five times greater than the nitride coating alone, effectively improving the wear resistance of H13 steel. Lu et al. [4] compared the high-temperature wear performance of TiC/H13 composite coatings prepared by laser metal deposition technology against forged H13 steel and laser-deposited H13 and TiC/H13, finding that TiC ceramic particles significantly increased the hardness of H13 steel and that the composite coatings exhibited good wear resistance. Tang et al. [5] used laser cladding technology to prepare NiCrAl-SiC coatings on the surface of H13 steel, which exhibited excellent high-temperature friction wear resistance due to the presence of SiC, effectively extending the service life of H13 steel. Jiang et al. [6] developed a low-nickel martensitic age-hardening steel coating on H13 steel using laser cladding technology, which, due to its excellent thermal stability, displayed good wear resistance in dynamic high-temperature wear tests. Karmkar et al. [7] prepared Stellite and Stellite + 30 wt% WC coatings on H13 steel using laser cladding technology. In high-temperature wear tests, the Stellite/WC coatings demonstrated superior wear resistance due to the presence of WC particles, thus improving the lifespan of H13 steel. Li et al. [8] mixed different mass fractions of Y2O3 into CrNi and used laser cladding technology to prepare composite coatings on H13 steel, enhancing the wear resistance of the CrNi coatings with the presence of Y2O3, thus addressing the poor wear resistance of H13 steel. In addition to the laser cladding materials mentioned above, Ni-based metal alloy powder can also be used as a cladding material, because this kind of powder has the advantages of good wear resistance and high-temperature oxidation resistance. At the same time, mixing high-hardness ceramic particles such as WC [9,10,11], TiC [12] and NbC [13,14] in this kind of powder can greatly enhance the surface hardness of the coating and enhance the wear resistance of the coating. However, after adding powders such as WC and TiC, cracks are likely to occur during the laser cladding process. For this phenomenon, the control methods that can be used are: preheating the substrate or using the optimal laser cladding process parameters, cladding gradient, etc. [15,16,17]. Manthani et al. [18] performed boriding on H13 steel using the pack cementation method and found that the wear resistance of samples borided at 950 °C for 4 h was significantly higher than that of samples carbonitrided at 550 °C for 12 h, greatly increasing the service life of H13 steel. Hao et al. [19] subjected Inconel 625 coatings, produced on H13 steel via hybrid additive manufacturing, to ultrasonic surface rolling treatment. In high-temperature wear tests, the treated coatings exhibited wear resistance far superior to that of H13 steel. Zheng et al. [20] greatly improved the wear resistance of H13 steel by performing U-shaped rolling and polishing treatment on the iron-based alloy cladding coating prepared on the surface of H13 steel. Wu et al. [21] prepared a CoCrFeNi high-entropy alloy cladding coating on the surface of H13 steel and mixed 10~40 wt% WC into the high-entropy alloy metal powder. In the experiment, the author found that mixing 30 wt% WC can make the coating more durable, but grindability achieves the best results. Zhang [22] et al. enhanced the wear resistance of the H13 steel surface by preparing a 5 wt% TiC/Inconel 718 composite coating on the H13 steel surface. The experimental wear volume was approximately 1/13 of the substrate. Gao et al. [23] prepared FeCoCr1.5NiAl high-entropy alloy coating on the surface of H13 steel, which greatly reduced the wear amount of the material, and the wear volume was reduced by 61.02% compared with the base material. Lu [24] et al. used laser technology to perform laser-strengthened impact treatment on the Ni-Fe-based composite-clad coating on the surface of H13 steel, which significantly extended the service life of the mold. Tran et al. [25] prepared a Cu/TiB2 composite coating on the surface of H13 steel, which extended the service life of the mold due to the increase in the surface hardness value of the composite coating, enhancing the wear resistance of the coating. Norhafzan B et al. [26] prepared NiTi coatings on the surface of H13 steel, which enhanced the wear resistance of the coatings due to the hardness of the coatings being 2.9 times that of H13 steel. Reynolds et al. [27] prepared a TiN nitriding layer on the surface of H13 steel to increase its wear resistance. Telasang et al. [28] laser heat-treated fusion-coated coatings on H13 steel surfaces, which significantly increased the microhardness of the coatings and enhanced the wear resistance of the coatings.
Through the research of scholars at home and abroad, it is found that in the method of improving the wear resistance of the H13 steel surface, in addition to the traditional heat treatment method, laser cladding technology has become the focus of the current research method by virtue of its high efficiency, small heat input, high quality of cladding coating and other advantages. Based on the above advantages of laser cladding technology and the ease of automated production, this paper adopts laser cladding technology and synchronized powder feeding technology to prepare cobalt-based and nickel-based alloy coatings on the surface of H13 steel to improve the abrasion and wear resistance of the H13 steel surface.

2. Experimental Materials and Methods

In this paper, laser cladding technology is mainly used to prepare metal-clad coatings on the surface of H13 steel. Before the experiment began, the surface of H13 steel was processed by grinding and polishing, alcohol rinsing and drying, the main purpose of which was to remove the oxidized layer on the surface. At the same time, this rinsed the surface cleanly, so as to avoid the influence of external factors on the experimental results. In the experimental process, first of all, there was a continuous argon gas supply to the experimental environment to ensure that the water oxygen content in the experimental environment was lower than 1 × 10−5, to avoid the oxidation of the surface of the sample in the cladding process. The whole experimental process was mainly focused on the adjustment of the laser power, scanning speed and overlap rate of the fusion coating, to ensure the good surface condition of the metal fusion coating. Laser power has the greatest influence on the coating, including the surface state and the bonding state between the coating and the substrate; the scanning speed and the lap rate have the greatest influence on the thickness of the coating. The three sets of parameters were continuously adjusted to prepare a good metal-clad coating. At the end of the laser cladding process, the surface of the sample was cleaned to remove the residual metal powder on the surface; at the same time, the sample was wrapped in all directions and slowly cooled in the natural environment, so as to avoid surface defects occurring when the sample is subjected to the rapid cooling effect of the environment under the high-temperature condition.
The experiments used H13 steel as the substrate material; its chemical composition is shown in Table 1.
Based on the excellent high-temperature friction wear resistance of nickel-based and cobalt-based alloy powders, Co6, T400, and Ni-based 30WC coatings were prepared on the surface of H13 steel. According to previous exploration and research, cobalt-based alloys (such as Co6, T400) are high-temperature alloys with strong corrosion resistance and high-temperature oxidation resistance, and in the high-temperature conditions of 900 °C, they are still able to maintain excellent high-strength performance. Nickel-based alloys (such as Ni-based 30WC) also have excellent corrosion resistance and resistance to high-temperature oxidation performance, and the increase in nickel-based alloys in the hard WC particles can enhance the wear-resistant properties [29,30,31]. The laser cladding process parameters are shown in Table 2, and the chemical composition of the powders is listed in Table 3, Table 4 and Table 5.
The three types of coated samples (Figure 1, Welding area size 140 mm × 90 mm) and H13 steel were cut into 15 × 15 × 15 mm cubes. First, the internal crystal structure and phase composition of the three coating types were analyzed to determine the coating’s reinforcement mechanisms. High-temperature friction wear tests were carried out using a 1230 Bruker UMT multifunctional friction wear testing machine (Bruker, Billerica, MA, USA) to measure the high-temperature friction wear resistance of the four samples. The two-dimensional and three-dimensional morphologies of the high-temperature friction wear of the four samples were captured using a ZYGO NEWVIEW9000 (ZYGO, Middlefield, CT, USA) white light-interferometer. Prior to the experiment, the surfaces of the four samples were smoothed, then rinsed with alcohol, and finally dried in an oven.
The experimental parameters for the high-temperature friction wear are shown in Table 6.

3. Results and Discussion

3.1. SEM and XRD Analysis of Laser-Cladded Coating Samples

Figure 2 displays the SEM morphologies of the three types of coating samples.
From Figure 2, it can be observed that the crystal structure in the Co6-coated sample mainly consists of columnar crystals. By examining the growth direction of the dendrites, it is evident that the crystals grow consistently along the direction of the cooling thermal flow, exhibiting clear epitaxial growth characteristics, directionality, and good compactness. In the T400-coated sample, the primary crystal structure is that of reticular crystals, with the arrangement displaying a certain orderliness and a trend of growth from the interior to the exterior. The long dendritic crystals are interconnected by short dendrites, effectively linking the crystals together. Observing the internal crystals of the Ni-based 30WC-coated sample reveals a disorderly growth direction, but the overall trend still shows epitaxial growth. As can be seen from Figure 2, in the Co6 coating style, the crystal structure is mainly columnar crystals. Observing the growth direction of dendrites, it can be seen that the growth direction of the crystal always grows along the direction of heat flow cooling. The growth structure shows obvious epitaxial growth characteristics, with certain directionality and good density. In the T400 coating style, the main structure type of crystals is network crystals. The arrangement of the crystals has a certain order and shows a tendency to grow along the heat-flow cooling direction. Adjacent crystals are connected by chemical bonds. Observing the internal crystals of the Ni-based 30WC coating pattern, it can be seen that the growth direction of the crystals is disordered. At the same time, around the WC particles, the growth state of the crystals is characterized by centering on the hard WC particles and moving toward them. The inner extension is mainly because during the laser cladding process, the Ni-based 30WC alloy metal powder absorbs heat and melts, but the hard WC particles have a high melting point, resulting in a lower temperature around the hard WC particles. During the heat dissipation process, the crystal grows along the direction of heat-flow cooling, which will cause the growth direction of the crystals around the hard WC particles to tend to the hard WC particles.
From Figure 3, it can be seen that in the Co6-coated sample, the phases primarily consist of Co and Cr23C6, with Co having the strongest diffraction peak. Due to the fast heating and cooling characteristics of laser cladding, in the process of laser cladding, the Co phase is too late to realize the transition between the γ-phase and the ε-phase, so most of the Co phases in Co6 alloy powder-cladding coatings are γ-Co phases. Considering that carbides are the main strengthening mechanism in cobalt-based alloys, carbon is an important element. The carbides in the coating, mainly formed by Cr and C, constitute the Cr23C6 phase and are dispersed throughout the coating, forming a dispersion-strengthening mechanism. In the T400-coated sample, the main constituent phases are Co, Co3Mo, Mo5Si, and Cr15Co9Si6, with Co exhibiting the strongest diffraction peak. Although no carbides are present in the T400 sample, its crystal structure differs from that of the Co6 sample, where long dendrites are interconnected by short dendrites, forming “chemical bonds” that strengthen the interaction between the internal crystals. The precipitate phase of the coating also contains a large amount of Cr-containing cemented carbide compounds, which are strengthened by diffusion and solid solution strengthening, thus constituting the coating’s strengthening mechanism. In the Ni-based 30WC-coated sample, Ni, WC, W2C, and Ni3B are the main precipitated phases, with Ni having the strongest diffraction peak. In Figure 4, it can be seen that the interior of the coating contains a large number of spherical WC particles, and the high hardness of the WC particles plays an enhanced role in the wear resistance of the coating. At the same time, the crystals inside the coating are strengthened by diffusion strengthening and solid solution strengthening, which enhances the surface wear resistance of the coating.

3.2. Wear-Resistance Analysis of the Four Samples

3.2.1. Friction Coefficient Analysis

Figure 5 illustrates the comparative curve of the friction coefficients over time for the four samples.
The observation and analysis of the friction coefficient curve of H13 steel show that the curve illustrates the variation of the friction coefficient of H13 steel over time. At the start of the friction experiment, due to the rough surface of H13 steel and the small contact area with the counterface ball, the friction coefficient rapidly increases to 35, indicating the run-in wear stage. At around 650 s, the curve stabilizes, with the friction coefficient remaining around 33, indicating that the steady-state wear stage lasts until the end of the experiment. The absence of severe fluctuations in the friction coefficient curve before the end of the experiment suggests that no material failure occurred.
The observation and analysis of the friction coefficient curve of H13 steel show that the overall trend is similar to that of H13 steel, but the Co6 sample reaches the steady-state wear stage 50 s earlier, and its maximum friction coefficient during the run-in stage is 33, indicating the better self-lubricating properties of the Co6 sample compared to H13 steel.
The observation and analysis of the friction coefficient curve of H13 steel show that the overall trend is similar to H13 steel, but both the maximum friction coefficient during the run-in stage and the steady-state friction coefficient are 35, suggesting that the self-lubricating properties of the T400 sample are inferior to H13 steel.
The observation and analysis of the friction coefficient curve of H13 steel show that at the start of the experiment, the friction coefficient rapidly increases to 18, significantly lower than for the other three samples. Over time, the friction coefficient continues to rise but at a slower rate. The presence of unmelted WC particles within the coating increases the surface hardness, preventing the coating from quickly reaching a steady-state wear stage.
From the overall trend, it is clear that the Ni-based 30WC-coated sample exhibits the best self-lubricating properties.

3.2.2. Analysis of the Hardness of the Material and the Amount of Wear

Figure 6 represents a microhardness test chart for each coating. According to the test results, in the Co6 coating pattern, the average microhardness of the coating surface was 564.2 HV, and the average microhardness of the H13 steel substrate was 176.1 HV; in the T400 coating pattern, the average microhardness of the coating surface was 710.2 HV, and the average microhardness of the H13 steel substrate was 248.64 HV; and in the Ni-based 30WC coating pattern, the average microhardness of the coating surface is 554.8 HV, and the average microhardness of the H13 steel substrate is 167.48 HV. Compared with the microhardness of the H13 steel substrate, the microhardness of the coating is higher, which greatly improves the wear-resistant property of the coating surface.
For Co6 and T400 cladding coatings, there is an enhancement in the surface microhardness, and we can observe the influence of the crystal type within the coating and the precipitation phase in the laser cladding. Due to the rapid cooling and heating, the majority of the Co phase changes into stable γ-Co in the coating of the internal structure, affecting the dispersion distribution of the formation and the dispersion of the strengthening effect. In the process of laser cladding, the metal-clad coating and H13 steel matrix also exhibited a large amount of cemented carbide element exchange, while the metal-clad coating was also subjected to the laser solid solution strengthening effect. In the case of Ni-based 30WC metal-clad coatings, in addition to the reasons mentioned above, a large number of internal unmelted hard WC particles contributed to the hardness enhancement of the coatings. The increase in the microhardness of the surface of the metal fusion-clad coating enhanced the wear resistance of the coating surface.
Figure 7 presents the three-dimensional morphology maps of the wear regions for the four different types of samples. As can be seen from the figure, the comparative relationship is T400 coating sample < Ni-based 30WC coating sample < Co6 coating sample < H13 steel, both in terms of the depth of abrasion marks and the width of abrasion marks. After a high-temperature friction and wear test at 450 °C for 30 min, the surfaces of the materials exhibited roughness, primarily due to the presence of crystals and amorphous structures with varying hardness within the material’s surface and interior. The harder crystals and amorphous structures resist abrasion, but under high-temperature conditions, the softer crystals and amorphous structures are easily worn away and adhere to the counterface ball’s surface, contributing to the wear of the material and resulting in an uneven surface. When comparing the three-dimensional morphologies of the four samples, the depth of wear marks follow the relation: T400-coated sample < Ni-based 30WC-coated sample < Co6-coated sample < H13 steel; the width of wear marks observed in the two-dimensional morphologies follow the relation: T400-coated sample < Ni-based 30WC-coated sample < Co6-coated sample < H13 steel. In Figure 7c, two cracks appear in the fretting wear region of the style, mainly due to the great temperature gradient between the coating and the substrate during the laser melting process. After the coating is finished, the sample is cooled down at different speeds with large differences, which causes stresses and cracks.
Further analysis was conducted using a white-light interferometer to measure the average wear area (Figure 8a) and wear volume (Figure 8b) for the four types of samples. The wear area and wear volume of each style and the difference between each style and H13 steel are plotted separately in the graph. The measurements indicated that the average wear area for H13 steel was 0.059 mm2; for the Co6-coated sample it was 0.050 mm2, for the Ni-based 30WC-coated sample it was 0.035 mm2, and for the T400-coated sample it was 0.002 mm2. Similarly, the wear volumes were measured as 0.29 mm3 for H13 steel, 0.25 mm3 for the Co6-coated sample, 0.17 mm3 for the Ni-based 30WC-coated sample, and 0.01 mm3 for the T400-coated sample. A comparative analysis of the average wear area and wear volume data revealed that the high-temperature wear resistance of the four types of samples ranked as follows: T400-coated sample > Ni-based 30WC-coated sample > Co6-coated sample > H13 steel. This ranking is mainly due to the reticular crystal structure and fine crystal strengthening in the T400-coated sample, which greatly improved the hardness of the coating. The Co6-coated sample benefited from solid solution strengthening by elements such as Mo and W, as well as dispersion strengthening from carbides. In the Ni-based 30WC-coated sample, the presence of unmelted WC particles and the solid solution strengthening of W, C, and B elements in the nickel matrix, forming phases such as W2C and Ni3B, enhanced the coating’s surface hardness.

3.2.3. Friction and Wear Morphology Analysis

Common types of friction and wear include adhesive wear, abrasive wear, fatigue wear, fluid abrasive wear, erosion wear, mechanochemical wear, fretting wear and oxidized wear. Adhesive wear refers to the wear that occurs when “cold welding” happens at the contact points on the friction surface, and during relative motion, the material translocates from one surface to another. Abrasive wear occurs when free hard particles (such as dust in the air or metal particles generated by wear) or hard asperities plow the softer material surface, removing material that either flows to the sides of the grooves or breaks off in chips to become new free particles in a micro-cutting process. Fatigue wear is the mechanical wear caused by the fatigue failure of the material microvolume under repeated deformation. Fluid abrasive wear is caused by the action of hard objects or particles carried in a flowing liquid or gas. Erosion wear occurs due to the erosive action of a liquid or gas flow. Mechanochemical wear is caused by a combination of mechanical action and chemical or electrochemical interaction with the environment. Fretting wear is a subtle, composite wear form resulting from a combination of adhesive wear, abrasive wear, mechanochemical wear, and fatigue wear. Oxidized wear is a form of wear in which the surface of the material reaches a certain temperature during high-temperature frictional wear, and the alloying elements in the material combine with oxygen to form oxides that are stripped from the back of the material.
In Figure 9, SEM morphologies of the wear regions for the four types of samples are displayed. From the images, it is evident that H13 steel exhibits the most severe wear state with apparent surface oxidation and blackening, as well as the presence of some plowing grooves and large areas of spalling on the surface. Therefore, it is determined that the main wear type for H13 steel is adhesive wear. This is primarily because H13 steel has low hardness and high plasticity, which, under high-temperature wear conditions, allows surface materials in the wear zone to easily adhere to the counterface ball surface. During the wear process, due to the effect of high temperature, the material can also easily re-adhere to the H13 steel wear surface, leading to spalling.
Upon examining the SEM morphology images of the wear region for the Co6-coated sample, plowing grooves and surface blackening due to oxidation were observed, along with many uneven areas and materials that had been stripped away on the wear surface. Therefore, it is determined that the predominant types of friction and wear for the Co6-coated sample are adhesive wear and abrasive wear. In addition, the SEM morphology images of the wear region for the T400-coated sample reveal a surface condition similar to that of the Co6-coated sample, but the plowing grooves are not very pronounced, which further confirms the superior wear resistance of the T400 coating. This is mainly due to the fact that both Co6 and T400 alloy powders are cobalt-based, and the strengthening of the solid solution through elements such as W, Mo, and Cr, as well as the structural types of crystals within the coating and fine crystal strengthening effects, increases the surface hardness of the coating. During the wear process, particles that are stripped away enter softer areas of the wear region to form plowing grooves. Furthermore, under high-temperature experimental conditions, some material adheres to the counterface ball, being carried away from the material’s surface, resulting in spalling and an uneven surface.
The observation of the SEM morphology images of the wear region for the Ni-based 30WC-coated sample reveals the presence of a few spalling areas and distinct plowing grooves, along with areas of oxidation and blackening. It is therefore determined that the main type of wear for the Ni-based 30WC-coated sample is abrasive wear. This is primarily due to the presence of unmelted WC particles within the Ni-based 30WC coating, which are hard and enhance the wear resistance of the coating, preventing extensive material stripping on the surface. However, under high-temperature conditions, a small portion of the WC particles may oxidize and adhere to the counterface ball, leaving the material’s surface. As a result, there are a few areas of spalling on the material’s surface.
In the process of high-temperature friction wear, the surface of each type of surface peeling phenomenon occurs to varying degrees, mainly because the hard alloy in the material in the high-temperature friction wear process and oxygen are combined and oxidation occurs, resulting in a softer oxide that is taken away from the surface of the material, in line with the phenomenon of oxidative wear. Oxidized wear is also included in the type of friction wear for each style, based on the mechanism of determining oxidized wear.

4. Conclusions

This paper primarily conducted high-temperature friction and wear tests on three types of coatings and H13 steel, comparing their wear-resistance properties to provide new solutions to the issue of poor wear resistance in H13 steel. The main conclusions are as follows:
(1)
The magnitude of the friction coefficient primarily reflects the self-lubricating properties of the material surface. A lower friction coefficient indicates better self-lubrication; hence, the Ni-based 30WC-coated sample exhibited the best self-lubricating properties.
(2)
After a high-temperature friction and wear test at 450 °C for 30 min, the average wear area of H13 steel was 0.059 mm2 and the wear volume was 0.29 mm3; the average wear area of Co6-coated samples was 0.050 mm2 and the wear volume was 0.25 mm3; the average wear area of T400-coated samples was 0.002 mm2 and the wear volume was 0.01 mm3; and the average wear area of the Ni-based 30WC-coated sample was 0.035 mm2 and the wear volume was 0.17 mm3. Therefore, the T400-coated sample exhibited the best wear resistance.
(3)
Based on the classification of friction wear types and the state of surface wear and friction of the materials, H13 steel primarily exhibited adhesive wear and oxidized wear; Co6 and T400-coated samples mainly showed both adhesive wear, abrasive wear and oxidized wear; and the Ni-based 30WC-coated sample predominantly exhibited abrasive wear and oxidized wear.

Author Contributions

Writing—original draft, H.Z., J.Z. and J.L. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This research received no external funding.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement

Data are contained within the article.

Conflicts of Interest

Author Juncheng Li was employed by the company GuoNeng ZheJiang YuYao Fuel Gas Power Generation Co., Ltd. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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Figure 1. Macroscopic morphology of the three types of coated samples. (a) Co6 coated sample. (b) T400 coated sample. (c) Ni-based 30WC coated sample.
Figure 1. Macroscopic morphology of the three types of coated samples. (a) Co6 coated sample. (b) T400 coated sample. (c) Ni-based 30WC coated sample.
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Figure 2. SEM morphologies of the three types of coating samples. (a) Co6 coated sample. (b) T400 coated sample. (c) Ni-based 30WC coated sample.
Figure 2. SEM morphologies of the three types of coating samples. (a) Co6 coated sample. (b) T400 coated sample. (c) Ni-based 30WC coated sample.
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Figure 3. XRD patterns of the three types of coating samples. (a) Co6 coated sample. (b) T400 coated sample. (c) Ni-based 30WC coated sample.
Figure 3. XRD patterns of the three types of coating samples. (a) Co6 coated sample. (b) T400 coated sample. (c) Ni-based 30WC coated sample.
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Figure 4. Full view of Ni-based 30WC coating.
Figure 4. Full view of Ni-based 30WC coating.
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Figure 5. Comparative curve of friction coefficients for the four samples.
Figure 5. Comparative curve of friction coefficients for the four samples.
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Figure 6. Microhardness test chart for each coating. (a) Co6 coated sample. (b) Ni-based 30WC coated sample. (c) T400 coated sample.
Figure 6. Microhardness test chart for each coating. (a) Co6 coated sample. (b) Ni-based 30WC coated sample. (c) T400 coated sample.
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Figure 7. Three-dimensional and two-dimensional morphology maps of the wear regions for the four types of samples. (a) H13 steel. (b) Co6 coated sample. (c) T400 coated sample. (d) Ni-based 30WC coated sample.
Figure 7. Three-dimensional and two-dimensional morphology maps of the wear regions for the four types of samples. (a) H13 steel. (b) Co6 coated sample. (c) T400 coated sample. (d) Ni-based 30WC coated sample.
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Figure 8. Bar charts of wear data for the four types of samples. (a) Bar chart of wear area. (b) Bar chart of wear volume.
Figure 8. Bar charts of wear data for the four types of samples. (a) Bar chart of wear area. (b) Bar chart of wear volume.
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Figure 9. SEM morphology images of the wear regions for the four types of samples. (a) H13 steel. (b) Co6 coated sample. (c) T400 coated sample. (d) Ni-based 30WC coated sample. (a1–d1) SEM 100×. (a2–d2) SEM 500×.
Figure 9. SEM morphology images of the wear regions for the four types of samples. (a) H13 steel. (b) Co6 coated sample. (c) T400 coated sample. (d) Ni-based 30WC coated sample. (a1–d1) SEM 100×. (a2–d2) SEM 500×.
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Table 1. Chemical composition of H13 steel.
Table 1. Chemical composition of H13 steel.
ElementCSiMnCrMoVSPFe
Content0.32–0.450.80–1.200.20–0.504.75–5.501.10–0.750.80–1.20≤0.03≤0.03Remainder
Table 2. Laser cladding process parameters.
Table 2. Laser cladding process parameters.
CoatingPower
(w)		Transverse
(mm)		Speed (m/min)Powder Delivery Rate (u/min)Carrier GasShielding GasSpot Diameter (mm)
Co613001.21.02.05.0203
T40014001.40.91.86.0203
Ni-based 30WC17001.21.02.55.0203
Table 3. Chemical composition of Co6.
Table 3. Chemical composition of Co6.
ElementCOSiCrFeNiMoWCo
Content1.192.461.0530.121.131.840.115.01Bal
Table 4. Chemical composition of T400.
Table 4. Chemical composition of T400.
ElementCOSiCrMoNiMnCo
Content1.611.812.628.7528.380.230.13Bal
Table 5. Chemical composition of Ni-based 30WC.
Table 5. Chemical composition of Ni-based 30WC.
ElementCCuSiBWNi
Content1.1813.711.420.7129.13Bal
Table 6. High-temperature friction wear experimental parameters.
Table 6. High-temperature friction wear experimental parameters.
Wear MethodCounterface Ball MaterialCounterface Ball Radius (mm)Load
(N)		Stroke
(mm)		Temperature
(°C)		Time
(min)		Lubrication ModeFrequency
(HZ)
ReciprocatingSi3N4350545030Dry Friction5
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Zhang, H.; Zhuang, J.; Li, J. The Effect of Laser-Cladded Co6, T400, and Ni-Based 30WC Coatings on the Wear Resistance of H13 Steel. Coatings 2024, 14, 114. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14010114

AMA Style

Zhang H, Zhuang J, Li J. The Effect of Laser-Cladded Co6, T400, and Ni-Based 30WC Coatings on the Wear Resistance of H13 Steel. Coatings. 2024; 14(1):114. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14010114

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zhang, Haibo, Jingyu Zhuang, and Juncheng Li. 2024. "The Effect of Laser-Cladded Co6, T400, and Ni-Based 30WC Coatings on the Wear Resistance of H13 Steel" Coatings 14, no. 1: 114. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings14010114

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