Abstract
Hardfaced carbon steel blade is used to mix ilmenite ore with sulphuric acid as part of a production process inside a digester tank. The carbon steel blade wear life is improved by applying tungsten carbide (WC) hardfacing using shielded metal arc welding (SMAW). This study addresses the effect of welding layers on the microstructure and distribution of WC hardfaced. The influence of different number of welding layer (1 layer, 2 layers and 3 layers) on WC hardfacing microstructure and hardness value were analysed using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and micro-Vickers hardness tester respectively. It is revealed that the growth of large-sized carbide and distribution uniformity of small-sized carbide in hardfacing region is increasing with number of welding layers applied during the hardfacing. The volume fraction analysis of the WC in the hardfacing region shows linear increase with the increase of number of layers. Small-sized carbide grows larger with increasing number of welding layer applied in the matrix region. The continuous supply of heat energy from multiple layers of welding assists on the growth of WC in the hardfaced region increasing its hardness and subsequently increasing the wear resistance.