Processing of Ni20WC10Mo based composite clads on austenitic stainless steel through microwave hybrid heating

In the present investigation, Ni20WC10Mo based composite clads were developed on austenitic stainless steel substrate through microwave hybrid heating technique. Experiments were performed inside a domestic microwave oven working at 900 W and 2.45 GHz. The microwave exposure time at 900 W power was optimized and it was 330 s. Further, the microwave processed clads were characterized through SEM/EDS, XRD, and measurement of Vicker's microhardness. SEM results revealed that composite clads were free from any type of visible cracks and porosity. The presence of different carbides phases was observed during XRD study of the clad regions. The average Vicker's microhardness of the clad region was approximately 2.5 times that of SS-316 L substrate.