Characterization of microstructure and properties of nanostructured Fe-Al/WC intermetallic composite coating deposited by cold spraying

A nanostuctured Fe-Al/WC intermetallic compound-based coating was produced by cold spraying of ball-milled powder assisted with post-annealing treatment. The microstructure of the as-milled powder and cold-sprayed coating was investigated. It was found that the as-milled Fe-Al/WC composite alloy powder had lamellar structure and the microstructure of the as-sprayed coating depended significantly on the microstructure of as-milled powder. A Fe-Al intermetallic phase was formed during the annealing treatment at a temperature higher than 500°C. The microhardness of the as-sprayed coating reached 680 Hv
0.1
and more. The effect of the annealing treatment on the coating microstructure and hardness was examined.