Adhesion of electrodeposited nanocrystalline Ni–W coatings on Cu

A study was performed on the adhesion of nanocrystalline Ni–W alloy coatings, on copper, with the help of a scratch testing apparatus. The nanocrystalline Ni–W coatings were electrodeposited on copper substrates. The tungsten content in the Ni–W alloy coating was found to be 42?wt-% (19?at.-%). The results obtained from the scratch experiments showed that the nanocrystalline Ni–W coatings on copper suffer tensile failure and minor delamination. The mean cohesive and adhesive critical loads were found to be in the range of 19–85?N and 34–102?N, respectively and to increase with increasing thickness of the coatings.     

Corrosion stability of electrodeposited cyclic multilayer Zn–Ni alloy coatings

Abstract

This paper reports on a study of electrodeposition and characterisation of cyclic multilayer coatings of Zn–Ni alloy from a sulphate bath. Cyclic multilayer alloy coatings were deposited on mild steel through the single bath technique by appropriate manipulation of cathode current densities. The thickness and composition of the individual layers of the CMA deposits were altered precisely and conveniently by cyclic modulation of the cathode current during electrodeposition. Multilayer deposits with sharp change in composition were developed using square current pulses, using thiamine hydrochloride and citric acid as additives. Laminar deposits with different configurations were produced and their corrosion behaviours were studied by AC and DC methods in 5%NaCl solution. It was observed that the corrosion resistance of the CMA coating increased progressively with the number of layers (up to certain optimal numbers) and then decreased. The decrease in corrosion resistance at high degree of layering was attributed to interlayer diffusion due to less relaxation time for redistribution of metal ions at cathode during deposition. The coating configurations have been optimised for peak performance of the coatings against corrosion. It was found that CMA coating developed at cyclic cathode current densities of 3·0/5·0 A dm^?2 with 300 layers showed the lowest corrosion rate (0·112×10^?2 mm/year) which is ～54 times better than that of monolithic Zn–Ni alloy, deposited from the same bath. The protection efficacy of CMA coatings is attributed to the difference in phase structure of the alloys in successive layers, deposited at different current densities, evidenced by X-ray diffraction analysis. The formation of multilayers and corrosion mechanism were examined by scanning electron microscopy.     

Evaluation of corrosion resistance of electrodeposited nanocrystalline Ni–Fe alloy coatings

Nickel–iron alloys with a compositional range of 24–80?wt-% iron were electrodeposited on a copper substrate from a sulphate-based bath and using a stirring rate of 100?rev?min^?1. The effect of applied current density and Ni²⁺/Fe²⁺ metal ion ratio of plating bath on the properties of alloy coatings was examined. Crystal structure and grain size of Ni–Fe alloy coatings were investigated using X-ray diffraction technique. Field emission scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were used to analyse the surface morphology and chemical composition of coatings. Microhardness test was applied to evaluate the hardness of the coatings. Finally, the electrochemical behaviour of the Ni–Fe alloy coatings was studied by a polarisation test in 10?wt-% H₂SO₄ solution. Results revealed that current density and plating bath composition had a strong effect on the characteristics of coatings. As the iron content of alloys produced increased, their corrosion resistance improved with the best corrosion resistivity being achieved at a metal ion ratio of 0.5 and applied current density of 2.5?A?dm^?2.     

Effect of current density on deposition process and properties of nanocrystalline Ni–Co–W alloy coatings

The nanostructure Ni–Co–W alloy coatings were electrodeposited onto a copper substrate using different applied current densities, in a modified Watts-type bath. The coatings were single-phase solid solutions with average grain sizes about 6–11 nm, calculated from X-ray diffraction patterns using the Scherrer equation. EIS results showed that the adsorption and reduction of W-containing ion complexes dominated at all applied current densities. However, the diffusion of the ion complexes reached to a limitation at higher current densities. The W and Co contents of the coatings decreased with an increase in the applied current density. A homogeneous nodular surface morphology was obtained at all current densities. The coatings produced at low current densities, containing higher amount of alloying elements, showed lower corrosion resistance.     

Nanosized structural features of electrodeposited Au–Co and Au–Ni alloy coatings

The structure of Au–Co and Au–Ni alloy coatings deposited at low current density (2–20?mA?cm^?2) from weakly acidic additive-free electrolyte with higher (16–20?g?L^?1 Co or Ni) than usually employed (0.1–1.0?g?L^?1) concentration of the alloying element was investigated. Under these conditions, structural effects in the coatings were observed representing nanoscale, porous (in the case of Au–Co coatings) or hollow (in Au–Ni alloy coatings) formations, passing through the coating and ending at the surface as craters. They could be associated with the influence of the accompanying hydrogen evolution. On one hand, hydrogen bubbles are firmly adsorbed on the surface, and on the other hand, the electrolyte has very good penetrating and covering ability. As a result, depending on the dynamics of the deposition process, porous structures with different configurations are formed. The formation of the structures begins in the early stages of the electrocrystallisation and the substrate affects the number, size and distribution of the features.     

Thermal treatment effect on the mechanical,tribological and corrosion properties of Ni–W alloy obtained by direct and pulse plating electrodeposition

Ni–W electrodeposits have emerged as one of the most suitable alternatives to hard chromium mainly owing to their remarkable mechanical and tribological properties. Additionally, advanced technologies that require materials resistant to high temperatures could benefit from the use of Ni–W coatings. In this work, the effect of thermal treatment at different temperatures (300, 500, 700°C) on the characteristics of Ni–W coatings obtained by direct and pulse plating (PP) was studied. The morphology, composition, crystalline structure, hardness, wear rate, friction coefficient and corrosion resistance of the thermally treated coatings were analysed and compared with the performance of hard chromium coatings. The results indicate that the pulse-plated Ni–W coatings show better mechanical and tribological properties than the ones obtained by direct current. A significant improvement in hardness in Ni–W layers was achieved by thermal treatment, mainly in the films grown by PP, with minor changes in wear resistance and corrosion performance.     

Microstructure and wear behaviour of pulse electrodeposited alumina nanoparticle reinforced Co–W nanocomposite coatings

Abstract

The microstructure and wear behaviour of alumina nanoparticle reinforced Co–W alloy coatings have been investigated for potential replacement of hard chrome coatings. The composite coatings were pulse electrodeposited on steel substrates using a citrate bath. The effects of current density, in the range of 1–9 A dm^?2, on the particle reinforcement, phase/microstructure, microhardness, and wear properties of the coating have been studied. The coatings codeposited with current density of 5 A dm^?2 at 333 Hz pulse frequency and 33% duty cycle exhibited microhardness comparable to hard chromium coatings.     

Effect of current density on composition and structure of electrodeposited Au–Ni alloy coatings

Abstract

The effect of current density on composition and structure of galvanic Au–Ni alloy coatings electrodeposited from weakly acidic additive free electrolyte was investigated. At low current density (up to ～10 mA cm^?2), light yellow coloured alloys enriched with Au are deposited. At higher current density the Ni content is abruptly increased and the coatings become coarse and dark. Deposits with an average content of Ni up to ～50 at-% were obtained. Only a small amount of Ni (up to 20 at-%) takes part in the formation of non-equilibrium super saturated Au–Ni solid solution. The remainder of the Ni is deposited in the interglobular space as an amorphous Ni oxide–hydroxide or as Ni bearing hydroxide salts. Besides Ni, the alloy coatings contain C, N, O, K and H.     

Microstructure and tribological properties of carburized 95W–3.5Ni–1.0Fe–0.5Co heavy alloy

Tungsten heavy alloys(WHAs) produced by powder technology are widely used for the mechanical manufacturing, electronic and defense components, etc.Tribological properties of these alloys need to be improved to meet the severe service conditions demanded. Carburization is a promising way to resolve this problem. In this work, microstructure and tribological properties of the carburized 95W–3.5Ni–1.0Fe–0.5Co heavy alloy were investigated in comparison with those of the untreated alloy. Results show that the carburized layer consists of a porous, outer WC layer and a modified W grain layer surrounded by Fe_6W_6C and Co_6W_6C at 970℃, regardless of the carburizing time. The depth of the carburized layer linearly increases in a relatively short time and slightly increases during the subsequent period. Surface roughness increases with carburizing time. Carburization can stabilize friction coefficient and effectively improve the wear resistance of the tungsten heavy alloy due to its significantly increased hardness and non-deformability, but the porous structure in the WC layer has a negative influence on its wear resistance. The carburized layer is damaged in the porous WC layer in the form of the spalling of WC particles where there are some microcracks and micropores, accompanied with peeling due to the solid tribofilm being pushed away.     

Effect of bath stabiliser on performance of electrodeposited Ni–W coatings

Abstract

The paper describes the influence of the addition of a stabiliser agent on the composition of the bath and the performance of the electrodeposited nickel–tungsten (Ni–W) coatings under working conditions. The effects of the working temperature (65°C) and the addition of a stabiliser on the complexes of Ni and W present in a Ni–W electrolyte were analysed. It has been qualitatively demonstrated that an increase in temperature slightly modifies the speciation curves of Ni and W complexes, and the introduction of a stabiliser does not modify the formation of the metal complex, allowing the electrolyte to be stable during long periods of time. The deposit obtained in an aged electrolyte has a high resistance to corrosion and a good resistance to wear and the hardness can be elevated to ～1200 HV after the application of a heat treatment.     

Corrosion behaviour of zinc–nickel alloy coatings electrodeposited in additive free chloride baths

Abstract

Corrosion behaviour of nanocrystalline Zn–Ni alloy coatings (with 3 to 18 at-%Ni) electrodeposited on steel substrate from additive free chloride baths by DC plating has been investigated by measurement of open circuit potential with time and neutral salt spray test. The alloy coatings containing up to 16 at-%Ni exhibited an increase in resistance to the appearance of white and red rust with increasing Ni content. The resistance to the appearance of white rust and ability to protect the underlying steel substrate decreased with further increasing Ni content. This has been considered to be due to reduced passivating ability of the alloy coating with a significant rise in the grain size above 50 nm.     

Investigation of corrosion resistance of electrodeposited Ni–W/SiC composite coatings

In this research, Ni–W/SiC composite coatings were electrodeposited from a plating bath containing suspension of SiC particles. The influences of SiC particle concentration in the plating bath on the composition of composite coatings were investigated. The surface morphology and composition of the composite coatings were characterised by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray measurements and X-ray diffraction analysis. The corrosion characteristics of Ni–W/SiC composite coatings were investigated by mass loss and electrochemical measurements, including open circuit potential, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and potentiodynamic polarisation in a 3·5 wt-%NaCl solution. The results showed that the addition of SiC particle to the deposition bath of Ni–W significantly increased the corrosion resistance. The significant improvement in corrosion resistance observed for Ni–W/SiC composite coatings (17100 Ω cm²) compared to Ni–W (5619 Ω cm²) could have resulted from the microstructural differences.     

Preparation and corrosion behavior of electrodeposited Ni–TiN composite coatings

Ni–TiN composite coatings were successfully prepared by direct current (DC), pulse current (PC) and ultrasonic pulse current (UPC) deposition methods. The morphology, mechanical properties and the corrosion behavior of Ni–TiN composite coatings were investigated using atomic force microscope (AFM), scanning electronic microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and gravimetric analysis. The results show that the Ni–TiN composite coatings synthesized by UPC deposition method possess a compact and exiguous surface morphology. The XRD results demonstrate that the average grain diameter of Ni and TiN in composite coating prepared by UPC deposition is 52.6 and 35.7 nm, respectively. In the corrosion tests, the coating prepared by UPC deposition exhibits the best corrosion resistance, whereas the coating fabricated by DC deposition suffers the most serious damage.     

Tensile deformation and microstructure of a nanocrystalline Ni–W alloy produced by electrodeposition

Deformation and fracture characteristics of the electrodeposited nanocrystalline Ni–W alloy with a grain size of 8.1 nm were investigated. Tensile tests were carried out at room temperature with specimen of 25–30 μm in thickness. The fractured surface was examined using SEM and high-resolution TEM was used to study the microstructure of deformed specimens. Based on these observations we propose a deformation mechanism and fracture process for nanocrystalline Ni–W during tensile deformation are initiated by grain boundary sliding.     

Microstructure and wear properties of silicide based coatings over Mo–30W alloy

The paper deals with the microstructure and wear properties of the Mo-30W alloy, coated with silicide based oxidation resistant coatings using pack cementation technique. The microstructure of the coating revealed that the coating was free of cracks or pores, adherent to the substrate and comprised of either single layer or double layer depending the coating temperature. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) was used to determine diffusion profiles for Mo, W and Si. Reciprocating sliding wear and friction experiments were performed on the uncoated and coated alloy. Double layer coating showed an improved friction coefficient as compared to base alloy as well as a single layer coated alloy. The wear tests also showed a marked improvement of wear resistance of coated alloy as compared to uncoated alloy. The coating was found to be wear resistant at 7 N.     

Increased adhesion of diamond-like carbon–Si coatings and its tribological properties

A pre-activation process on substrate surface has remarkably improved the poor adhesion strength of diamond-like carbon (DLC)–Si coatings on steels which is the largest obstacle in achieving a widespread application of the coatings onto machine components. The activation process consists of preliminary nitriding followed by ion etching under the selected condition. Very fine protrusions formed by the processes provide large adhesion strength to the coatings that were made continuously within the same DC-plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition (PACVD). No intermediate layers are necessary. The critical load of DLC–Si coatings thus treated reached over 50 N in the scratch tests. The coatings with the critical load over 50 N showed much improved rolling fatigue life. The DLC–Si coating with over 50 N critical load endured a rotationa1 stress of 10⁸ cycles at a contact pressure of 3.4 GPa, whereas the DLC–Si coatings with 10 N spalled at 10⁶ cycles.     

Instrumented indentation properties of electrodeposited Ni–W alloys with different microstructures

The microstructures and mechanical properties electrodeposited Ni–W alloys synthesized at two plating bath temperatures of 353 and 348 K were investigated. Whereas the 353 K sample is amorphous, the 348 K sample has a mixed amorphous-nanocrystalline structure. As a result, the strength of the 348 K sample exhibits strong strain rate dependence during nanoindentation.     

Preparation and oxidation behaviour of electrodeposited Ni–CeO2 nanocomposite coatings

Ni–CeO₂ nanocomposite coatings with different CeO₂ contents were prepared by codeposition of Ni and CeO₂ nanoparticles with an average particle size of 7 nm onto pure Ni surfaces from a nickel sulfate. The CeO₂ nanoparticles were dispersed in the electrodeposited nanocrystalline Ni grains (with a size range of 10–30 nm). The isothermal oxidation behaviours of Ni–CeO₂ nanocomposite coatings with two different CeO₂ particles contents and the electrodeposited pure Ni coating were comparatively investigated in order to elucidate the effect of CeO₂ at different temperatures and also CeO₂ contents on the oxidation behaviour of Ni–CeO₂ nanocomposite coatings. The results show that the as-codeposited Ni–CeO₂ nanocomposite coatings have a superior oxidation resistance compared with the electrodeposited pure Ni coating at 800 °C due to the codeposited CeO₂ nanoparticles blocking the outward diffusion of nickel along the grain boundaries. However, the effects of CeO₂ particles on the oxidation resistance significantly decrease at 1050 °C and 1150 °C due to the outward-volume diffusion of nickel controlling the oxidation growth mechanism, and the content of CeO₂ has little influence on the oxidation.     

Characterization of nanocrystalline Co–W coatings on Cu substrate,electrodeposited from a citrate-ammonia bath

Cobalt–tungsten nanocrystalline coatings were electrodeposited on copper substrate using different current densities. The deposited coatings were single phase solid solution with an average grain size of about 18 nm, showing a nodular type of surface morphology. By increasing the deposition current density, the density of nodules was increased, with no obvious variation in grain size. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) confirmed the codeposition of tungsten through reduction of tungsten oxide film formed during the electrodeposition process. However, the role of ternary complexes in the bath cannot be ruled out, especially at lower cathodic potentials. The Co–W coating deposited at lower current densities showed higher tungsten content, microhardness, wear resistance and friction coefficient. However, this coating showed an inferior corrosion resistance. By increasing the deposition current density, a low tungsten coating with high corrosion resistant was obtained. This is attributed to the lower value of exchange current density of water reduction in the present of oxygen (i₀^H2O) achieved on the coating with lower tungsten content.