Corrosion Behaviors and Mechanisms of NbC-Reinforced T15M Alloy Composite Coatings Prepared by Laser Cladding
摘要
To extend the service life of Mn13 steel under severe conditions, T15M/x NbC (x = 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 wt.%) composite coatings were fabricated via laser cladding. Laser cladding on Mn13 yielded a coating composed of γ-Fe, carbides, and Fe-Cr intermetallics. The addition of NbC eliminated the Fe-Cr phases, promoted the γ- to α-Fe transformation, and introduced hard NbC phases. After adding NbC, the microhardness of the coating was significantly improved, and the hardness of the T15M/25 wt.% NbC composite coating reached 750.6 HV0.5. The wear resistance of the composite coating was also better than that of the substrate. In a 3.5% NaCl solution, the T15M-NbC composite coating exhibited superior corrosion resistance compared to the Mn13 substrate. The refined grains and abundant grain boundaries facilitated elemental diffusion, accelerating the formation of corrosion-induced chromium carbides and resulting in a denser passivation film and improved overall corrosion resistance. This study demonstrates the significant role of NbC in enhancing the corrosion and wear performance of metal matrix composite coatings.