Synthesis, microstructure and phase analysis of laser cladded <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" altimg="si1.svg"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>N</mml:mi> <mml:mi>i</mml:mi> <mml:mi>C</mml:mi> <mml:mi>r</mml:mi> <mml:mi>M</mml:mi> <mml:mi>o</mml:mi> <mml:mi>F</mml:mi> <mml:mi>e</mml:mi> <mml:mi>A</mml:mi> <mml:mi>l</mml:mi> <mml:mi>S</mml:mi> <mml:mi>i</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> high entropy alloy

This study investigated the influence of Laser Cladding (LC) parameters on the fabrication of N i C r M o F e A l S i High Entropy Alloy (HEA) coatings on carbon steel. Varied laser power (500, 700, and 900 W) and scanning speed (4, 8, and 12 mm/s), yielding energy densities ( E s ) from 41.6 to 225 J / m m 2 . XRD confirmed a dual-phase BCC solid solution and intermetallic compound. Four coatings met high entropy criteria ( Δ S m i x > 1.5R). FESEM revealed a microstructure gradient from columnar dendrites at the interface to equiaxed grains at the surface, controlled by G/ V s . EDS mapping showed increased scanning speed enhanced Fe dilution (>35 %). Sample P500V08 ( E s = 62.5 J / m m 2 ) achieved the highest microhardness of 682.5 HV- a 470 % improvement over the substrate (120 HV) and 34 % harder than coatings at 75 J / m m 2 . This peak performance resulted from solid solution strengthening, lattice distortion, and grain refinement. The study demonstrates that precise control of E s is critical to minimize defects, limit Fe dilution, promote HEA formation, and maximize mechanical properties. The LC parameters successfully produced a coating with a significant hardness enhancement of ∼470 %, providing valuable insights for developing wear-resistant coatings in industrial surface engineering applications.