Influence of the nickel powder addition in 308 stainless steel coatings on H13 tool grade steel

This work evaluates the effects of the addition of Ni powder on the microstructural and mechanical behavior of 308 auste‑ nitic stainless steel coatings on an H13 tool grade steel by Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) process. Ni influences on the formation of martensite at the interface coating and it stabilizes the percentage of austenite phase. The microstructural evolution presents a percentage difference on the austenite on the coating surface when Ni powder was added, since it is evaluated by optical microscopy technique. Moreover, Vickers microhardness techniques allow to evaluate the mechanical coatings performance. The results indicate an increase in hardness at the interface due to the presence of martensite in this zone, obtaining maximum values of 695 HV. Additionally, applying multiple beads of coating led to an increase in the dilu‑ tion percentage (30–40%)