Evaluation of the hot corrosion behavior of Inconel 625 coatings on the Inconel 738 substrate by laser and TIG cladding techniques

The present study investigated the effect of TIG and laser cladding of Inconel 625 coating over an Inconel 738 substrate on its hot corrosion resistance. The hot corrosion test was performed by exposing the specimens to Na₂SO₄–60 wt%V₂O₅ salt at 900 °C for 36 h. Microstructural, elemental, and phase characterization was performed using a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) equipped with an energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) detector and an X-ray diffractometer (XRD). The microstructural evaluation did not show any crack or pore in the laser-cladded specimen, but revealed a series of cracks at the surface and coating-substrate interface of the TIG-cladded specimen. The phase formed in the coated and uncoated specimens was found to be ϒ-Ni. The results were also indicative of the formation of chromium oxide, nickel oxide, NiCr₂O₄ spinel, and NiCO₃ after the corrosion test. The corrosion-affected areas in the laser-cladded specimen, TIG-cladded specimen, and uncoated specimen had a thickness of approximately 40 ± 5 μm, 80 ± 10 μm, and 130 ± 10 μm, respectively. The results demonstrated the superior hot corrosion resistance of the laser-cladded specimen, as compared to its TIG-cladded and uncoated counterparts.