A SiC particulate reinforced aluminum matrix composite coatings for wear resistance improvement were investigated. Laser powder deposition processing was optimized, the niicrostructure of the coatings was analyzed, and the wear resistance of the coatings was evaluated. Under optimized processing, a laser powder deposited coating is free of cracks and porosity. SiC particles were uniformly distributed in the coating and well bonded with the matrix. A laser powder deposited coating consists of alpha-Al, SiC, Al4C3, Si and Al2O3 phases. Due to formation of Al4C3 and Si phases and crystal grain refinement, the wear resistance of laser powder deposited coatings was increased 2.06-3.76 times that of the aluminum alloy substrate based on the high hardness and deformation resistance of the SiC particles.

Keywords: laser powder deposition; silicon carbide; particulate reinforcement; aluminum alloy; composite; coating; wear resistance