Fabrication of Textured Composite Coatings on Different Substrates by Laser Microcladding

This study explores the feasibility of fabricating microtextured composite coatings on different substrates by laser microcladding (LMC). Ni/Cr 3 C 2 microtextured composite coatings were successfully produced on high‐speed steel and cemented carbide, and their microstructure and tribological performance were systematically evaluated. The results show that LMC enables the controlled fabrication of periodically microtextures with micrometer‐scale dimensions on diverse substrates. There is a clear synergistic effect between the composite coating and the microtexture, resulting in significant improvements in tribological performance: the coefficient of friction decreased by 46.7% for textured cemented carbide (YGT) relative to polished cemented carbide, and by 37.5% for textured high‐speed steel relative to polished high‐speed steel. The friction reduction mechanism is primarily attributed to the microtextures effectively entrapping wear debris, suppressing abrasive wear, and the hard Cr 3 C 2 phase enhancing the load‐bearing capacity of the coating. Owing to the high hardness of the composite coating, wear resistance was enhanced; however, edge effects of the microtextures promoted wear of counterface, resulting in a ball wear rate of ∼ 1.51×10 −5 mm 3 /Nm for the YGT sample. Overall, LMC can produce high‐performance microtextured composite coatings on different substrates, enhancing the tribological behavior of the base materials, providing experimental support for potential applications in cutting tools, gears, and other mechanical components.