Microstructure and tribological performance of Ti-6Al-4V cladding with SiC powder

► Silicon carbide (SiC) powder was successfully clad on Ti-6Al-4V by a gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) cladding process. ► Solidification process of the SiC cladding layer was investigated and discussed. ► Microhardness distribution and wear mechanism of the SiC clad layer were discussed. ► Wear performance of the SiC clad layer is higher than that of the Ti-6Al-4V substrate tenfold.