Electromagnetic wave absorption mechanism and wear corrosion characteristics of Ti3SiC2 MAX phase-doped Ni/AlN composite coating with core-shell structure based on laser cladding-induced pitaya-like multi-level heterogeneous interface

Abstract

To satisfy the service requirements of wave-absorbing materials in harsh environments, it is important to design and manufacture corrosion-resistant composite-absorbing materials. According to the strategy of impedance matching and the dissipation behaviour of nickel-based alloys, AlN ceramics, and MAX-phase Ti3SiC2 multicomponent composite-regulated materials were studied. As an additive manufacturing technology, multilevel heterointerface composites with core–shell structures were obtained by laser cladding. The construction of a unique core–shell structure of a metal–ceramic and ceramic (core)–ceramic (shell) multi-level heterogeneous interface increased the interfacial relaxation and multiple dissipation and improved the impedance matching. The results enabled the N20M3 cladding coating to exhibit excellent microwave absorption characteristics, with a reflection loss of −32.84 dB at the ultra-thin thickness of 1.8 mm. Additionally, the composites exhibited excellent corrosion resistance, high hardness, and relatively good resistance to erosion wear. This work promotes the durability of wave-absorbing materials under severe conditions, as well as the integration of the efficient manufacturing of wave-absorbing materials.