Scanning electron microscopy, Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction and microhardness analysis were employed to study the solidification behavior and phase transformations occurring during the laser cladding a Ti45Nb coating on mild steel. A premixed powder of 55wt.% Ti and 45wt.% Nb was used and the processing parameters were set to ensure a laser power density of ∼970W/mm 2 and an interaction time range of 0.022–0.080s between the laser beam and the substrate. It was shown that at a constant power density, the interaction time controls the solidification behaviour during the process. For extremely short interaction (ESI) time range, 0.024≤τ≤0.027s, crack and pore-free coatings of excellent hardness (up to ∼1000HV 0.05 ) containing β and α″ Ti–Nb based solid solutions and a β+Fe–Ti solid solution eutectic matrix can be made. However, processing at higher interaction times, i.e. at short interaction (SI) time range 0.030≤τ≤0.048s, results in the formation of additional brittle intermetallics, including an FeNb μ compound and an Fe 2 (Nb,Ti) ε compound, while only ε forms at the highest interaction times, i.e. long interaction (LI) time range 0.060≤τ≤0.080s.