Investigating Microstructure and Hardness of Manganese Steel by Creating a Layer Containing WC Particles through GTAW Process

In this research, creation of the composite coating containing tungsten carbide particles on the surface of Hadfield manganes e steel by using gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) process has been investigated. For this purpose, tungsten carbide particles were prefigured on the surface of manganese steel. By changing welding current, surface melting of carbides and the base metal occurs. The microstructure of coating and phase analysis of hard layer was investigated through different characterization techniques such as light microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and X-ray Diffraction (XRD). The micro-hardness of the coating was evaluated. According to the characterization results, the created coating includes WC and CW3 amplifier of tungsten in a dendritic microstructure. Such carbides can significantly improve the hardness and wear behavior of the coating. The micro-hardness of the coated sample (650 HV) is more than 3 times the uncoated one (200HV).