Microstructure and Abrasive Wear Performance of Ni-Wc Composite Microwave Clad

In the present work, Ni-WC powder was deposited on mild steel substrate to develop clads through microwave hybrid heating technique. The cladding trials were carried out in an industrial microwave applicator at 1.1 kW for 540 s. The Ni-WC composite clads were characterized for microstructure and abrasive wear performance through combination of x-ray diffraction, electron and optical microscopy, microhardness, and wear tests. Phase analysis of the Ni-WC clad indicated the presence of stable carbides such as WC, W2C, Ni2W4C, and Fe6W6C. The microstructure study of the clad layer revealed the presence of a uniformly distributed interlocked WC-based reinforcement embedded in the Ni-based matrix. The average Vicker’s microhardness in the clad layer was observed to be 1028 ± 90 HV, which was approximately three times the microhardness of the substrate. Abrasive wear resistance of the microwave clads was superior to the MS substrate. Abrasion was the main wear mechanism in the Ni-WC clads and the substrate samples. However, the presence of WC-based reinforcement in the composite clads reduced microcutting, resulting in enhanced wear resistance.