摘要： A deleterious Laves phase forms in the solidi?ed structure of Inconel 718 (IN718) alloy during laser cladding. However, e?ective removal methods have not yet been identi?ed. In this study, we ?rst added the IN718 alloy cladding layers with a trace amount of vanadium (V, 0.066 wt.%). Then, we studied the solidi?cation structure of cladding layers using a confocal laser scanning microscope and scanning electron microscopy. The microstructure and Laves phase morphology were investigated. The distribution of niobium (Nb) was observed by experiment as well. We found that V is evenly distributed in dendrites and interdendritic zones. A more re?ned dendrite structure, reduced second dendrite arm spacing and lower volume fraction of Laves phase were observed in the solidi?cation structure. The results of linear energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) indicate that the concentration of Nb decreases with an increasing of the distance from the Laves phase. The V-containing sample displayed a relatively slower decreasing tendency. The IN718 alloy sample was harder with the addition of V. In addition, the porosity of the sample decreased compared with the blank sample. The presented ?ndings outline a new method to inhibit the Nb segregation in IN718 alloy during laser cladding, providing reference signi?cance for improving the performance of IN718 alloy samples during actual processing.