Reinforcements affect mechanical properties and wear behaviors of WC clad layer by gas tungsten arc welding

This work deals with the surface analysis, mechanical properties and wear performances of the clad layer, which is made from tungsten carbide (WC) powders on SKD61 die steel by the gas tungsten arc welding method. According to the experimental results, due to the high hardness and elastic modulus reinforcements (Fe3W3C and M7C3) existing in the WC clad layer, the WC clad specimen has excellent wear performance at different sliding speeds.According to the wear analysis, wear behaviors of the WC clad layer are two-body abrasion and oxidation wear. In addition, oxidation wear dominates the wear behaviors of the SKD61 die steel specimen at different sliding speeds.

► WC particles react completely with the steel matrix during the GTAW process.
► The same specimen has different morphologies under the SEM and OM.
► The evolution of this microstructure is proposed.
► Fe3W3C and M7C3 phases clearly affected the hardness and wear performance.