Multi-objective Optimization of Process Parameters, Microstructures and Properties of Laser Cladding Ni60/25%WC Coatings Based on Grey Relational Analysis-TOPSIS Method

LIN Yiming; CHEN Dongdong; TENG Yuan; LIU Yanguo; ZHANG Bingqing; WU Lianquan; XUE Mingshan; SHI Wenqing

doi:10.16490/j.cnki.issn.1001-3660.2026.18.011

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Surface Technology ›› 2026, Vol. 55 ›› Issue (18) : 130-145. DOI: 10.16490/j.cnki.issn.1001-3660.2026.18.011

Multi-objective Optimization of Process Parameters, Microstructures and Properties of Laser Cladding Ni60/25%WC Coatings Based on Grey Relational Analysis-TOPSIS Method

LIN Yiming¹, CHEN Dongdong², TENG Yuan², LIU Yanguo², ZHANG Bingqing¹, WU Lianquan³, XUE Mingshan^2,*, SHI Wenqing^1b,2,*

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Abstract

The work aims to obtain a Ni60/25%WC coating with excellent performance. Due to its good comprehensive properties and low cost, Q355B steel is widely used in shipbuilding and construction. However, its surface is prone to wear and corrosion. Therefore, this work investigates the effect of laser cladding process parameters on the hardness, wear resistance and corrosion resistance of the Ni60/25%WC coating, and constructs a comprehensive optimization model combining grey relational analysis (GRA) and the TOPSIS method. Firstly, the weight of each index was determined via GRA normalization, and then TOPSIS was used for multi-objective evaluation to select the optimal process window. Q355B steel was used as the base material. The surface was sandpapered, then ultrasonically cleaned in absolute ethanol for 10 min, and finally dried with hot air. The Ni60 alloy powder and WC powder were mixed in a planetary ball mill at a mass ratio of 3∶1, and then dried in an oven at 80 ℃ for 2 hours. The mixed powder was evenly spread and pressed onto the substrate surface to a pre-set thickness of approximately 1 mm. A laser cladding system (XL-F3000Y-2) was employed to fabricate the coatings. Nine sets of process parameters were designed, combining laser power (900, 1 200, 1 500 W) and scanning speed (300, 450, 600 mm/min). The defocus distance was fixed at +7, and the center distance between adjacent cladding tracks was fixed at 1.2 mm. The microhardness was measured with a Vickers hardness tester (MHVD-1000AT) under a load of 1.98 N and a dwell time of 10 s. The average of three measurements was taken as the result. The friction coefficient and the worn surface profile were tested with a disk-type friction and wear tester (SFT-2M). The electrochemical corrosion behavior was evaluated with an electrochemical workstation (Corrtest CS350M) equipped with a three-electrode system. The worn and corroded morphologies of the coatings were subsequently observed by scanning electron microscopy (Apreo2S) coupled with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (UltimMax65). Microhardness, wear volume, and corrosion current density were selected as the responses. The objective weight of each index was obtained through GRA. The optimal process parameters were evaluated and selected with the TOPSIS method, and the results were verified by the equal-weight method. Finally, the samples prepared under the optimal and the worst process schemes were characterized. The microstructure and elemental distribution were analyzed by SEM and EDS, and the phase composition was identified by X-ray diffraction (XRD-7000). A Ni60/25%WC composite coating was successfully prepared, and its comprehensive performance was evaluated. The changes in the microhardness, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance of the coating were analyzed. It was found that among the various process parameters, S3 (900 W, 600 mm/min) had the highest hardness, S6 (1 200 W, 600 mm/min) had the best wear resistance, and S5 (1 200 W, 450 mm/min) had the best corrosion resistance. To simultaneously optimize multiple performance indicators, this work adopts a combined method of GRA and TOPSIS for comprehensive evaluation. Through GRA, the weights of the wear volume, microhardness, and corrosion current density were objectively determined as 0.378, 0.313, and 0.309, respectively. The relative closeness of each scheme was calculated with the TOPSIS method. The results showed that laser power had a significant impact on the comprehensive performance of the coating. Excessively high power (1 500 W) caused matrix dilution and grain coarsening, resulting in a decline in overall performance. Finally, the process parameters yielding superior comprehensive performance were determined as a laser power of 1 200 W and a scanning speed of 450 mm/min, with a corresponding relative closeness (C_i) of 0.758. Microstructure analysis indicated that the coating prepared under these parameters presented a dense microstructure, mainly composed of γ-(Ni, Fe) solid solution and uniformly distributed hard phases, including Cr₂₃C₆, CrB, and W₂C. Compared with the worst process condition (1 500 W, 600 mm/min), the optimal process has a significantly finer microstructure, exhibiting a higher microhardness (644.2HV0.2), better wear resistance (wear volume: 0.014 6 mm³), and superior corrosion resistance (corrosion current density: 8.02×10^-6 A/cm²).

Key words

laser cladding / Ni60/WC composite coating / grey relational analysis / TOPSIS method / multi-objective optimization / wear and corrosion resistance

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LIN Yiming, CHEN Dongdong, TENG Yuan, LIU Yanguo, ZHANG Bingqing, WU Lianquan, XUE Mingshan, SHI Wenqing. Multi-objective Optimization of Process Parameters, Microstructures and Properties of Laser Cladding Ni60/25%WC Coatings Based on Grey Relational Analysis-TOPSIS Method[J]. Surface Technology. 2026, 55(18): 130-145

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Funding

2023 Guangdong Province Science and Technology Special Fund ("Grand Special Project + Task List") (SDZX2023004); Research Startup Funding Project of Guangdong Ocean University (360302032505); Yangjiang City Special Fund Project for the Talent Revitalization Plan of Key Industries in Alloy Materials and Hardware Tools (RCZX2024012); Guangdong Ocean University Graduate Education Innovation Program (040502112502)