Electrodeposition of Ni-Co-Fe2O3 composite coatings

Ni-Co-Fe₂O₃ composite coatings were electrodeposited using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)-modified Watt’s nickel bath with Fe₂O₃ particles dispersed in it. The effects of the plating parameters on the chemical composition, structural and morphological characteristics of the electrodeposited Ni-Co-Fe₂O₃ composite coatings were investigated by energy dispersive X-ray (EDS) spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results reveal that Fe₂O₃ particles can be codeposited in the Ni-Co matrix. The codeposition of Fe₂O₃ particles with Ni-Co is favoured at high Fe₂O₃ particle concentration and medium stirring, and the deposition of Co is favoured at high concentration of CTAB. Moreover, the study of the textural perfection of the deposits reveals that the presence of particles leads to the worsening of the quality of the observed ?220? preferred orientation. Composites with high concentration of embedded particles exhibit a preferred crystal orientation of ?111?. The more the embedded Fe₂O₃ particles in the metallic matrix, the smaller the sizes of the crystallite for the composite deposits.