Microstructure and wear resistance of a laser clad TiC reinforced nickel aluminides matrix composite coating

Wear resistant TiC/(NiAl–Ni3Al) composite coating was fabricated on a substrate of electrolyzed nickel by laser cladding using Ni–Al–Ti–C alloy powders. The laser clad coating is metallurgically bonded to the substrate and has a homogenous fine microstructure consisting of the flower-like equiaxed TiC dendrite and the dual phase matrix of NiAl and Ni3Al. The intermetallic matrix composite coating exhibits excellent wear resistance under both room- and high-temperature sliding wear test conditions due to the high hardness of TiC coupled with the strong atomic bonds of intermetallic matrix.