Medium entropy alloys (MEAs) have shown potential by replicating mechanical, erosion, and corrosion properties similar to conventional alloys. The present study focuses on the effect of NiCoCr MEA coatings on EN8 carbon steel using laser cladding on microstructure, erosion, and corrosion behavior. The laser cladding technique provides good bonding using a lower dilution rate to the substrate. The in-depth microstructure of the cladding surface was studied using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and electron backscattered diffraction. The air jet erosion (AJE) study was conducted on the cladded samples at the impact angles of 30°, 60° and 90°. The electrochemical corrosion study was performed in 3.5 wt.% NaCl medium. The microstructure shows the heterogeneity with columnar, cellular and equiaxed regions at different places in all the samples. The NiCoCr MEA-cladded samples showed lower hardness (261.9 ± 6.7 HV) than the substrate (281.0 ± 8.1 HV). The weight loss of the NiCoCr-cladded samples during AJE process was found lower that the substrate due to lower hardness values. The electrochemical corrosion tests show that the cladded samples provide better corrosion resistance than the substrate. The study highlights on the erosion characteristics and improvement in the corrosion resistance, with potential applications in advanced engineering fields.
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