In-situ synthesis of a FeCoCrNiCu/FeCoCrNiAl composite high entropy alloy coating by laser cladding

FeCoCrNiCu is a face-centered cubic (FCC) high entropy alloy (HEA) with good dislocation storage capacity, ductility, and toughness. FeCoCrNiAl is a body-centered cubic (BCC) HEA whose phase is hard and brittle with high strength and low toughness. In this study, a FeCoCrNiCu/FeCoCrNiAl composite HEA coating was prepared by laser cladding technology. After preparation, the microstructure and mechanical properties of the composite HEA were evaluated. A new two-phase (FCC + BCC) HEA was generated in situ between FCC and BCC HEA, achieving a good transition from hard to soft. The composite coating has the best wear resistance, the friction coefficient is about 0.3, the wear rate is 4.2 × 10−5 mm3/ N·m, and the wear mechanism is abrasive wear. While maintaining high hardness and good wear resistance, the composite coating has good compression properties. The FeCoCrNiCu cladding layer reduced the energy of the FeCoCrNiAl cladding layer by storing dislocations, which reduced its tendency to crack during compression, thus extending the service life of the coating surface.