Microstructure and mechanical properties of laser cladding TC4/Inconel 625/316L stainless steel gradient material

In order to improve the comprehensive performance of stainless steel workpiece, a TC4 cladding layer was prepared on stainless steel by laser cladding process, with Inconel 625 cladding layer as the transition layer. The microstructure, microhardness, electrochemical properties and tribological properties of TC4 cladding layer were studied. The results show that the cladding layer has high forming quality and uniform and dense microstructure. During the cladding process, the eutectic reaction caused by element diffusion and high temperature leads to the formation of CrNi₂ and Ti₂Ni reinforced phases in the cladding layer, which has signifcantley improved the hardness and wear resistance of the cladding layer. The wear mechanism of TC4 cladding layer is mainly abrasive wear and oxidation wear, and the wear resistance is better than that of the matrix. The corrosion current density is lower, and the corrosion resistance of TC4 cladding layer is significantly higher than that of the matrix.