A Novel Austenite Aging Steel Laser Cladding Coating and Its Elevated-Temperature Wear Resistance

A novel austenite aging steel coating was prepared by laser cladding to improve the elevated-temperature wear performance of AISI H13 steel. The wear tests at 400 °C to 600 °C were performed for the austenite aging steel coating and H13 steel. Their elevated-temperature wear performances were comparatively studied; the wear mechanisms under various loads at 400 °C to 600 °C were clarified. The novel austenite aging steel coating possessed an excellent elevated-temperature wear resistance. Comparatively, H13 steel presented an inferior wear resistance at 400 °C to 600 °C due to thermal softening, especially under a high load of 150 N at 600 °C. During elevated-temperature wear, a synergy of tribo-oxide layers and the subsurface matrix determined the wear behavior and mechanisms. Compared with H13 steel, higher resistance to thermal softening ensured a stable existence of the tribo-oxide layers owing to the precipitation strengthening of intermetallic compounds, thus endowing the austenite aging steel with the excellent elevated-temperature wear resistance. Consequently, for the novel austenite aging steel coating, oxidative mild wear prevailed at 400 °C to 600°C without the occurrence of the extrusive wear.