Effect of bead overlapping on the microstructure and mechanical properties of CoCrWC alloy coatings

In order to protect industrial components, cobalt base alloys are applied as hardfacing material through welding techniques. A large number of papers have shown that controlling the chemical composition is a key point regarding the wear and corrosion resistance of coatings. This paper investigated the effect of bead overlapping on the microstructure and properties of CoCrWC alloy coatings. Mechanical properties were determined by hardness, sliding wear and microtensile tests. Bead overlapping reduces dilution during the previous bead melting, which in turn induces lower iron content. From the second bead on, an increase in the amount of interdendritic carbides and solid solution alloying was verified, accounting for the higher mechanical properties of the coatings