A mixture of NiCrSiB alloy powder and tantalum (Ta) powder was used as laser clad material to improve abrasive wear resistance of the Ni-based coating. The microstructure and wear resistance of the coating were investigated. Addition of Ta element works to suppress the growth of coarse M7C3 carbide in the coating, resulting in a decrease in aspect ratio of coarse carbide. In the abrasive wear test, in situ synthesized TaC particles well bond with Ni-based matrix, and are hardly pull out from wear surface. Grooves on the worn surface of NiCrSiB coating are much deeper and sharper than those in the NiCrSiB+Ta composite coating. Also, a weight loss of the composite coating is much lower than that of the NiCrSiB coating. The wear resistance of the laser clad Ni-based coating is enhanced to a much greater extent through the addition of Ta. This is attributed to the in situ synthesized hard TaC particles of nearly equiaxed shape, the Ni-based matrix strengthened by Ta and the decrease in aspect ratio of the coarse brittle carbides.
