To enhance the microhardness and wear resistance of low-carbon steel, laser cladding was employed to create A100-Y₂O₃ cladding coatings that remained free of cracks. The phase composition, microstructure, and element distribution of these coatings were examined using XRD and SEM analyses, respectively. The microhardness and wear resistance of the A100-Y₂O₃ cladding coatings were tested by an HXS-1000 A type digital liquid crystal intelligent microhardness tester and an ML-10 friction and wear tester, respectively. The XRD results show that the addition of Y₂O₃ did not change the phase composition of the A100-Y₂O₃ cladding coatings. With the addition of Y₂O₃, the grains of the A100-Y₂O₃ cladding coatings are finer compared with those of the A100-0%Y₂O₃ cladding coating. The upper part of the A100-Y₂O₃ cladding coatings were composed of fine equiaxed grains. The average microhardness of the A100-0%Y₂O₃ cladding coatings was 532.489 HV. With the addition of Y₂O₃, the microhardness of the A100-Y₂O₃ cladding coatings was obviously improved, and the average microhardness of A100-1.5%Y₂O₃ coating reached 617.290 HV. The A100-Y₂O₃ cladding coatings were reduced, and the worn surface became relatively smooth owing to the addition of Y₂O₃. The addition of Y₂O₃ significantly improved the wear resistance of the A100-Y₂O₃ cladding coatings.

Among many methods to enhance the crack resistance of laser cladding coatings, adjusting the composition of laser cladding material is the most simple, feasible, and effective method. To improve the plastic toughness and crack resistance of A100 laser cladding coating, Ni and Ti powders of an equal molar ratio were added to A100 powder as laser cladding powder. Laser cladding technology prepared A100-(Ni-Ti) coatings without crack defects. The cladding coatings’ phase composition and microstructure were analyzed using XRD and SEM, respectively. A ring-block friction and wear tester tested the wear resistance of the A100-(Ni-Ti) cladding coatings. A100-(Ni-Ti) cladding coatings mainly contain martensite and austenite. The elements Ni and Ti are distributed primarily in the austenitic phase region. The results show that adding Ni and Ti elements can reduce the microhardness of A100 cladding coatings. The average microhardness of the A100-0%(Ni-Ti) cladding coating is 532.50 HV, and the average microhardness of the A100-10%(Ni-Ti) cladding coating is 430.99 HV, while the average microhardness of the A100-30%(Ni-Ti) cladding coating is only 307.49 HV. The wear surface of the A100-10%(Ni-Ti) cladding mainly shows pits and a small amount of adhesive wear. The A100-20%(Ni-Ti) and A100-30%(Ni-Ti) cladding coatings show severe adhesive wear. The A100-10%(Ni-Ti) cladding with high microhardness and good run-in performance exhibits the best wear resistance.