In the present study, plasma spray welding was used to prepare an in-situ niobium carbide (NbC) reinforced Ni-based composite coating on the low carbon steel, and the phase composition and the microstructure of the composite coatings were studied. The wear resistance and the wear mechanism of the composite coatings were also researched by the wear tests. The results showed that the main phases of the composite coating were NbC, γ-Ni, Cr23C6, Ni3Si, CrB, Cr5B3, Cr7C3 and FeNi3. A number of fine in-situ NbC particles and numerous chromium carbide particles were distributed in the γ-Ni matrix. The increase in the mass fraction of Nb and NiCr-Cr3C2 could lead to the increase in NbC particles in the composite coatings. Due to the high hardness of NbC and chromium carbides, the micro-hardness and the wear resistance of the composite coatings were advanced. The composite coating with the powder mixtures of 20% (Nb + NiCr-Cr3C2) and 80% NiCrBSi had the highest micro-hardness and the best wear resistance in this study. The average micro-hardness reached the maximum value 1025HV0.5. The volume loss was 39.2 mm3, which was merely 37% of that of the NiCrBSi coating and 6% of that of the substrate under the identical conditions.
Keywords: NbC; composite coating; in-situ; microstructure; wear resistance.