Microstructural Refinement and Enhanced Wear‐Corrosion Resistance of Cr 3 C 2 /NiCr Coatings via Composite Induction‐Assisted Laser Cladding

Conventional laser cladding (LC) is a promising technique for surface modification but often suffers from rapid solidification‐induced microstructural inhomogeneity, porosity, and carbide segregation, which limit coating performance. In ceramic‐reinforced systems such as Cr 3 C 2 /NiCr, these limitations are particularly pronounced, hindering the realization of coatings with both high hardness and corrosion resistance. Recent studies have suggested that external physical fields can effectively regulate molten pool dynamics; however, their combined effects remain underexplored. In this work, Cr 3 C 2 /NiCr composite coatings were fabricated on 45 steel substrates using both LC and a composite induction‐assisted laser cladding (CILC) process that introduces a composite high‐frequency electromagnetic field. The X‐ray diffraction results indicate that CILC does not alter the primary phase composition but promotes Cr 3 C 2 decomposition into Cr 7 C 3 and Cr 23 C 6 due to enhanced decarburization under reduced thermal gradients. The CILC coatings exhibit refined, uniformly distributed cellular and needle‐like grains with significantly lower porosity. Compared with LC, the CILC coatings show a 2.2‐fold increase in peak microhardness (up to 1485.8 HV 0.2 ), improved wear resistance, and superior corrosion resistance, as confirmed by reduced wear volume, lower friction coefficient, and higher corrosion potential. These results demonstrate that the application of a composite electromagnetic field during laser cladding effectively enhances microstructural uniformity and phase stability, offering a viable route for high‐performance ceramic‐metallic coatings.