PSI - Issue 81

Available online at www.sciencedirect.com

ScienceDirect

Procedia Structural Integrity 81 (2026) 216–220

© 2026 The Authors. Copy from the contract: Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of DMDP 2025 organizers Keywords: Hardfacing; NbC; composite; Flux-Cored Arc Welding; microstructure; microhardness. 1. Introduction The development of advanced materials with superior wear resistance is critical for extending the service life and improving the reliability of components in demanding industrial applications, such as mining, construction, and manufacturing (Prysyazhnyuk et al. (2022)). Surface engineering, particularly the application of hardfacing coatings, has emerged as an effective strategy to protect substrates from degradation caused by abrasion, erosion, and impact (Prysyazhnyuk et al. (2022)). Among the various material systems, metal matrix composites (MMCs) reinforced with hard ceramic particles offer a compelling combination of hardness, toughness, and wear resistance (Berns, (2003); Hutsaylyuk et al. (2020)). Iron-based alloys are often selected as the matrix material for composite coatings (Yilmaz et al., (2009)) due to their low cost, good mechanical properties, and metallurgical compatibility with a wide range of reinforcing phases. Transition metal carbides, Abstract This study investigates the microstructure and phase composition of a wear-resistant Fe-NbC composite coating deposited by flux-cored arc welding (FCAW). The coating was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD), with the results compared against thermodynamic modelling performed with Thermo-Calc software. The analysis revealed a composite microstructure consisting of fine (~5 μm), faceted niobium carbide (NbC) grains uniformly distributed within a ductile ferrite matrix. A sound, defect-free metallurgical bond with a smooth transition zone was observed at the coating-substrate interface. The experimental results confirmed the low mutual solubility between NbC and Fe, which was in strong agreement with the thermodynamic predictions. While the high dispersion of the carbide phase may not be optimal for severe abrasive conditions, the resulting microstructure is highly favorable for applications requiring significant impact wear resistance. VIII International Conference “In -service Damage of Materials: Diagnostics and Prediction “ (DMDP 2025) Microstructure and Phase Composition of Fe-NbC Composite FCAW Coatings Pavlo Prysyazhnyuk a, *, Ihor Hnylytsia a , Liubomyr Shlapak a ,Serhii Marynenko b , Halyna Kramar b , Liudmyla Bodrova b , Ihor Koval b a Ivano-Frankivsk National Technical University of Oil and Gas, Karpats'ka str. 15, Ivano-Frankivsk 76019, Ukraine b Ternopil Ivan Puluj National Technical University, Ruska str. 56, Ternopil 46001, Ukraine

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +380984272629. E-mail address: pavlo.prysiazhniuk@nung.edu.ua

2452-3216 © 2026 The Authors. Copy from the contract: Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of DMDP 2025 organizers 10.1016/j.prostr.2026.03.037