Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of FeCoCrNiAl + WC Composite Coating Formed by Laser Cladding on H13

To enhance high-temperature wear resistance of H13 steel, laser cladding was used to prepare a high-entropy alloy + carbide composite coating. The microstructure and high-temperature wear resistance of the composite coating were systematically analyzed. The results indicate that the FeCoCrNiAl + WC composite coating had a phase structure of BCC + FCC solid solutions, with a small amount of CFe15.1. The microstructure of the composite coating consisted of columnar and equiaxed grains. The microhardness of the FeCoCrNiAl + WC composite coatings was approximately 3.0–3.4 times that of H13. At wear temperatures of 823 K, compared with H13 steel, the wear volumes of composite coatings with different WC contents were reduced by 73.4%–80.2%. Among these, the FeCoCrNiAl + 10% WC composite coating showed the lowest wear volume. Furthermore, when wear temperatures increased from 623 K to 823 K, compared with H13 steel (108.37%), the increase in the wear volume of the FeCoCrNiAl + 10% WC coating was reduced to 90.82%, which indicates the FeCoCrNiAl + 10% WC coating had better high-temperature wear resistance. The wear mechanisms of the composite coating were abrasive and oxidative wear, while H13 steel exhibited abrasive wear, oxidative wear and fatigue wear.