The thick Ni-coated WC coatings, in a matrix of Nickel-based alloys, were prepared on AISI 1045 steel using plasma cladding equipment. A pre-placed layer of uniform mixture, with different weight fractions of Ni-coated WC powder and Nickel-based alloy powder, on the steel substrate was melted at the high temperature of the plasma jet. The coating composition, microstructure and microhardness were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive spectrometer (EDS) and microhardness testing. The experimental results show that the metallurgical bond was formed between the coating and substrate. The XRD results show that the coatings contain gamma-Ni, carbides (such as M23C6 and M7C3) and boride (such as Fe2B, Fe3B phases). SEM shows that all the coatings are crack-free with lower porosity (<1%). It is found that the microhardness and the electrochemical behavior of the coatings are depended on the content of Ni-coated WC powder. The corrosion mechanism for the coatings may be due to the microgalvance corrosion between the phases in the cladding coatings. (C) 2010 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.