Microstructure, hardness, and wear behaviour of laser-cladded Inconel 625 and 718 powders on Hadfield steel

Laser cladding offers enhanced mechanical and microstructural properties in rail crossings, thereby improving the surface characteristics required for high-speed and heavy-haul rail transportation. In this study, the Inconel 625 and 718 powders were deposited on Hadfield steel to evaluate the microstructural, hardness, and wear properties. The laser-cladded Inconel 625 and 718 showed a strong metallurgical bond at the substrate-clad interface. Columnar and equiaxed dendritic microstructure was observed in the clads. The average microhardness of Inconel 625 and 718 clads was 269 HV and 243 HV, respectively. The Inconel 718 clad had a lower wear rate of 2.31 × 10 −3 mm 3 /Nm compared to the Inconel 625 samples at 2.46 × 10 −3 mm 3 /Nm. Based on these findings, Inconel 625 and 718 are promising deposition materials for repairing rail crossings by laser cladding.