Synthesis and characterization of Ni-W/TiN nanocomposite coating with enhanced wear and corrosion resistance deposited by pulse electrodeposition

To enhance mechanical properties and anti-corrosion capability of Ni-W alloy further, Ni-W/TiN nanocomposite coating has been co-deposited via pulse current co-deposition in this work. The effects of TiN nanoparticles and operating parameters on the structure and properties of the deposited coating were examined. It illustrated that the nanocomposite coatings are uniform, dense and crack-free, exhibiting dome-like or hill-valley like structure. The particles were homogeneously incorporated in the metallic matrix. RTC analysis indicated that the preferred orientation of Ni-W/TiN was (111) texture. The crystallite size was of 10–16 nm, indicating the formation of nanocrystalline structure. TiN concentration, duty cycle and frequency could influence the amount of TiN particle and W element in the coating, then regulating hardness and anti-wear behaviors. The low duty cycle and long deposition time could diminish the roughness of the coating. The inclusion of TiN nanoparticles in the nickel matrix could promote the nucleation of fresh nickel crystals and restrict the growth of already formed nickel grains, favoring the homogeneous growth and grain refinement of Ni-W crystals. The doped TiN particles would favor the preferred orientation (111) plane, enhanced the hardness, wear and corrosion resistance of Ni-W alloy. Electrochemical results illustrated that the best corrosion-resistant properties of the nanocrystalline coating could be obtained at TiN 30 g L⁻¹, duty cycle of 20% and frequency of 60–200 Hz. The enhanced mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of Ni–W/TiN coating benefits its application in harsh corrosive environment.     

Ni-Si3N4纳米复合镀层研究

将Si3N4纳米粒子加入电镀镍的基础镀液中,在碳钢上制备了Ni–Si3N4复合镀层。扫描电镜观察表明,复合镀层的表面晶粒细小致密。能谱分析结果表明,镀层表面以Ni元素为主,且含有少量的Si和N。随着镀液中纳米Si3N4粒子含量的增加,镀层的显微硬度升高。热震法和划痕法实验表明,镀层与基体结合良好。     

Electrodeposited Ni-B alloy coatings: Structure, corrosion resistance and mechanical properties

Ni-B alloy coatings with different boron content ranging from 4 to approximately 28 at.% were prepared by electrodeposition in a nickel-plating bath containing sodium decahydroclovodecaborate as a boron source. The influence of the boron concentration in the coatings on their structure, morphology, electrochemical and corrosion behavior, physico-mechanical and electrical properties was investigated using X-ray diffractometry (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), potentiodynamic polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and other methods. It was found that the electrodeposited Ni-B coatings with relatively low boron content (≤8 at.%) are nanocrystalline and comprise a solid solution of boron in f.c.c. Ni lattice having a mixed substituted-interstitial type. Further increase in the boron content (up to 10-15 at.%) leads to the appearance of heterogeneous amorphous-nanocrystalline structure, and the coatings with a high boron content (20 at.% and above) are X-ray amorphous. Polarization measurements in neutral NaCl solutions showed that the Ni-B coatings with relatively low boron content demonstrate a potential region of low anodic currents associated with the passive film formation at the alloy surface. The anodic current in this potential region increases significantly with increasing the boron content above 10 at.%, suggesting the non-protective nature of the anodic film formed on the amorphous Ni-B alloys. Immersion tests monitored by EIS measurements revealed a significantly better corrosion performance of the Ni-B coatings with low boron content (4 at.%) in comparison with that of the amorphous coatings. The microhardness and wear resistance of the Ni-B coatings essentially increases with increasing the boron content. Maximum microhardness and wear resistance were found for the coatings containing 8 at.% B.     

Ni–W coatings electrodeposited on carbon steel: Chemical composition, mechanical properties and corrosion resistance

Hard, ductile and adherent nanostructured Ni–W coatings were electrodeposited on carbon steel from electrolyte solutions containing sodium tungstate, nickel sulfate and sodium citrate, using different current pulse programs. Current pulse frequency was the dominant factor to define chemical composition, grain size, thickness and hardness. According to the electrodeposition conditions the deposited coatings showed 15–30 at% W, the grain size ranged from 65 to 140 nm, and the hardness varied from 650 to 850 Hv. Tungsten carbide also present in the coating contributed to its hardness. The corrosion resistance of the Ni–W coated steel was tested by potentiodynamic polarization in a neutral medium containing sulphate ions. The Ni–W coating protected the carbon steel from localized corrosion induced by sulphate anions.     

Tribological study of Ni matrix composite coatings containing nano and micro SiC particles

Nickel matrix composite coatings containing micro and nano-sized SiC particles were prepared from an additive-free Watts’ type solution under direct and pulse current conditions, in order to study the correlation between SiC particles embedding and the tribological behaviour of deposits. The wear properties of Ni/SiC composite coatings were shown to depend on the type of current, the size of the embedded particles, the weight fraction of codeposited particles, the microstructural modifications induced by codepositing SiC particles and the plating conditions. It was proved that the presence of SiC particles influences the adsorption-desorption phenomena occurring at the metal-catholyte interface during electrocrystallization and, synergically with the plating conditions, modifies the deposits microstructure thus affecting wear properties.     

Sol-enhanced electroplating of nanostructured Ni-TiO2 composite coatings—The effects of sol concentration on the mechanical and corrosion properties

Novel sol-enhanced Ni-TiO₂ nano-composite coatings were electroplated by adding a transparent TiO₂ sol into the traditional electroplating Ni solution. It was found that the structure, mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of the nano-composite coatings were largely determined by the sol concentration. The higher sol concentration in the plating electrolyte led to a higher content of TiO₂ nano-particles in the coating matrix. The coating prepared at the sol concentration of 12.5 mL/L had the best microhardness, wear resistance and corrosion resistance. Adding excessive sol to the electrolyte changed the surface microstructure, caused cracking on the coating surface and deteriorated the properties. It was demonstrated that the corrosion resistance of the composite coatings is determined by two factors: surface microstructure and incorporation of TiO₂ nano-particles.     

Effect of additives on slip casting rheology,microstructure and mechanical properties of Si3N4/SiC composites

The SiC/Si₃N₄ composites were fabricated with sintering process. To produce SiC/Si₃N₄ composite components, slurry mixtures containing Si/SiC powders were used by the slip casting method. In order to investigate the effect of dispersants and additives on the rheological properties and the body casted, slurries with concentration of 70% solid weight were prepared. It included a mixture of silicon and silicon carbide with weight ratios of 30 wt% and 70 wt%, respectively, and various weight percentages of Ball clay as lubricant and Tiron (sodium salt of benzene disulfonic acid) as dispersant at pH value of 7. After preparing the green bodies by slip casting method by using plaster mold, the samples were sintered at 1450 °C inside an atmospheric-controlled furnace under a pressure of 0.12 MPa of nitrogen gas for 2 h. By examining the rheological properties of the slurry and the sintering properties, it was concluded that the best slurry was obtained in terms of viscosity, density, porosity and strength using 5 wt% Ball clay and 0.5 wt% Tiron. Phase transformations, microstructure and morphology of the sintered specimens were accomplished by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) examination and X-ray diffraction experimental analysis. XRD and FESEM results demonstrated that the composite fabricated by slurry containing 5 wt% Ball clay and 0.5 wt% Tiron had the least porosity without SiO₂ phase.     

Structural and corrosion characterization of pulse plated nanocrystalline zinc coatings

The influence of pulse plating parameters on the surface topography, grain size, crystal imperfections and corrosion resistance of Zn coatings has been studied. AFM was applied for surface structure examination, XRD measurements were carried out for texture, grain size and lattice disorder investigation, while the electrochemical techniques were applied for corrosion performance evaluation. Pulse electrodeposition of Zn coatings resulted in ca. threefold reduction in the grain size and ca. fourfold reduction in the corrosion currents in comparison with direct current plated samples. The grain size, lattice imperfection and homogeneity of grain distribution were established to be the main factors determining corrosion behaviour of Zn deposits. Apparently the structure of pulse plated Zn coatings enhances the stability of a passive film on their surface.     

Influence of hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets on phase transformation,microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of Si3N4 ceramics

Fully dense Si₃N₄ materials with 1 wt.% (～ 1.5 vol.%) and 2 wt.% (～ 3.0 vol.%) h-BN nanosheets were prepared by spark plasma sintering at 1750 °C with the dwell of 7 min under a pressure of 50 MPa in a vacuum. BN nanosheets with different dimensions were prepared by ultrasound-assisted liquid phase exfoliation of h-BN powder, followed by centrifugation at different speeds (1000 rpm and 3000 rpm). The addition of BN nanosheets hindered the particle rearrangement stage of sintering, which resulted in the delayed α→β phase transformation of Si₃N₄. To study a direct effect of BN nanosheets on the mechanical properties of Si₃N₄, the results were compared to the monolithic Si₃N₄ with similar grain size and α/β-Si₃N₄ ratio. The addition of 2 wt.% h-BN nanosheets (1000 rpm) increased both the fracture toughness (～ 26 %) and the strength (～ 45 %) of Si₃N₄, when compared to the monolithic Si₃N₄ with similar microstructure.     

Wear maps of HIP sintered Si3N4/MLG nanocomposites for unlike paired tribosystems under ball-on-disc dry sliding conditions

Hot isostatically pressed monolithic and multilayer graphene (MLG) reinforced silicon nitride nanocomposites have been investigated by ball-on-disc tests under variable loading conditions. Tests were carried out at room temperature with three different normal loads (10, 40 and 80 N), and six sliding speeds (10, 20, 50, 100, 150 and 200 mm/s) without lubrication using commercial silicon carbide ball counterparts for 54 tribosystems. The aim of the research work was to construct 2D wear transition and 3D wear rate maps of the investigated ceramic composites. The 3D maps visualizing the specific wear rate and the dimensionless wear coefficient as a function of normal load and sliding speed have been completed with morphological analysis of wear tracks and identification of the dominant wear mechanisms. The presented ceramic wear maps provide useful aid for predicting the wear performance of the investigated nanocomposites under various loading conditions.     

Effect of current density and deposition time on microstructure and corrosion resistance of Ni-W/TiN nanocomposite coating

Ni-W/TiN nanocomposite coatings were successfully prepared via pulse electroplating from an electrolyte containing suspended TiN nanoparticles. The effects of applied current density and deposition time on microstructure, morphology, composition, hardness and electrochemical behaviors of the obtained coatings were investigated. Results showed that the current density and deposition time affect remarkably the electrochemical co-deposition process and then the structure and characteristics of the composites. It illustrated that the nanocomposites are uniform, compact and crack-free. The nanocomposites prepared at I_a =?3?A?dm^?2 and t?=?20?min had the finest structure, showing a fine and smooth surface. EDS mapping and XPS spectra illustrated that the TiN nanoparticles had been homogeneously dispersed throughout the coating. 2.34?wt% TiN nanoparticles were embedded in Ni–W (68.56?wt% Ni and 29.1?wt%?W) alloy matrix at I_a=?3.0?A?dm^?2. The inclusion of TiN nanoparticles in Ni–W could promote the nucleation and cause a distinct microstructural change. The crystallite size was in the range of 11–15?nm. The average roughness value (R_a) is 65.7?nm and 73.8?nm for coating formed at 20?min and 40?min, respectively. The electrochemical measurements illustrated that I_a =?3–5?A?dm^?2 and t?=?40–60?min was the optimal operating parameters for the excellent anti-corrosion properties of Ni–W/TiN nanocomposites. The embedded TiN in Ni–W matrix could fill defects then improve its corrosion resistance. This electrodeposited Ni–W/TiN nanocomposites possess excellent hardness and superior corrosion resistance, and is expected to be applied in aggressive environment as a protective coating.     

Influence of pulse plating parameters on the synthesis and preferred orientation of nanocrystalline zinc from zinc sulfate electrolytes

The influence of pulse electrodeposition parameters (current on-time T_on, current off-time T_off, and pulse current density J_p) was investigated on the surface morphology and grain size of zinc electrodeposited from a sulfate bath containing polyacrylamide and thiourea additives. The grain size and surface morphology of zinc deposits were studied by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), and the preferred orientation of the deposits was studied by X-ray diffraction. At constant current off-time and pulse current density, the grain size decreased asymptotically with increasing current on-time. In contrast, increase in the current off-time at constant current on-time and pulse current density resulted in grain growth. A progressive decrease of the grain size was observed with increasing pulse current density at constant current on-time and off-time. Nanocrystalline zinc with an average grain size of 38 nm was obtained at a pulse current density of 1200 mA/cm². The crystallographic orientations developed were correlated with the change in the cathodic overpotential, the angle between the preferred oriented plane and the lowest energy of formation plane (0 0 0 2), and the pulse electrodeposition parameters.     

The effect of fabrication parameters on the mechanical properties of sintered reaction bonded porous Si3N4 ceramics

Porous silicon nitride ceramics were prepared via sintered reaction bonded silicon nitride at 1680 °C. The grain size of nitrided Si₃N₄ and diameter of post-sintered β-Si₃N₄ are controlled by size of raw Si. Porosity of 42.14–46.54% and flexural strength from 141 MPa to 165 MPa were obtained. During post-sintering with nano Y₂O₃ as sintering additive, nano Y₂O₃ can promote the formation of small β-Si₃N₄ nuclei, but the large amount of β-Si₃N₄ (>20%) after nitridation also works as nuclei site for precipitation, in consequence the growth of fine β-Si₃N₄ grains is restrained, the length is shortened, and the improvement on flexural strength is minimized. The effect of nano SiC on the refinement of the β-Si₃N₄ grains is notable because of the pinning effect, while the effect of nano C on the refinement of the β-Si₃N₄ grains is not remarkable due to the carbothermal reaction and increase in viscosity of the liquid phase.     

Influence of hydrodynamics and pulse plating parameters on the electrocodeposition of nickel-alumina nanocomposite films

Nickel-alumina nanocomposites were produced by electrocodeposition utilizing two electrode configurations, a parallel plate electrode (PPE) and impinging jet electrode (IJE), and various current modulations, i.e. direct current (DC), pulse plating (PP) and pulse reverse plating (PRP). Particle incorporation increased linearly with the particle loading of the electrolyte for all deposition conditions studied. A maximum incorporation of 12 vol.% of 50 nm γ-Al₂O₃ particles in a nickel matrix was achieved using an unsubmerged IJE system, while PP and PRP resulted in composites with particle contents up to 11 vol.% of 13 nm γ-Al₂O₃ particles. In general, nanocomposites showed higher hardness compared to the pure nickel coatings. The enhanced hardness of the composite films was associated with modifications in the microstructure of the nickel matrix as well as with the nanoparticle incorporation. The pure nickel deposits exhibited a strong (1 0 0) texture. With increasing plating current density and particle incorporation, a variation in the crystallite size and a loss of texture was observed.     

Fabrication of Ni-W-B4C composite coatings and evaluation of its micro-hardness and corrosion resistance properties

Boron carbide (B₄C) particles were embedded in nickel-tungsten (Ni-W) coatings by pulse current electrodeposition technique. Physical properties of the composite coatings were studied by XRD, SEM, EDS and Vickers micro-hardness instrument. Corrosion protection of the deposited films was investigated utilizing potentiodynamic polarization and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). Results exhibited that the addition of B₄C nanoparticles into the Ni-W alloy can significantly improve the surface morphology and the micro-hardness of the composite coatings. The corrosion resistance of Ni-W-B₄C nanocomposite is much better than Ni-W alloy deposit, especially when the concentration of B₄C nanoparticles is 2?g/L in plating bath, the obtained Ni-W-B₄C composite coating has the best surface morphology, the highest micro-hardness and the excellent corrosion resistance.     

Processing and properties of plasma sprayed silicon nitride-glass composite coatings

Abstract

Abstract

Silicon nitride decomposes before it can melt, and so thermal spraying of pure silicon nitride powder is impracticable. To address this difficulty, feedstock powder for plasma spray deposition has been developed in which each particle is a composite of silicon nitride in a low temperature borosilicate glass matrix. The research showed that the silicon nitride did not decompose in the plasma because the low thermal conductivity of the glass matrix ensured a low heat transfer rate and the particle temperature remaining below the decomposition temperature. The coating density initially increased with plasma arc power because of increasing splat flow but then declined at high power levels owing to decomposition of the glass matrix. The silicon nitride dispersion substantially reduced the splat flow, particularly near the maximum packing fraction, but also had the beneficial effect of restricting crack propagation, resulting in an optimum content for wear resistance of 30?vol.-% silicon nitride.     

SiC含量对反应烧结SiC-Si3N4复合材料性能的影响

以粒度均≤0.044mm的工业Si粉和α-SiC粉为原料,酚醛树脂为结合剂(占总粉末质量的6.5%),配成SiC含量(质量分数)分别为10%、30%、50%和70%的4组试样,经200MPa冷等静压成型后,在N2气氛中(压力为1.25MPa)于1395℃反应烧结制备了SiC-Si3N4复合材料,并采用SEM、XRD和EDS等测试手段对试样进行了观察和测试。结果表明:随着粉料中SiC含量的增加,烧后试样的体积密度下降,显气孔率提高,抗折强度降低,以SiC加入量为10%的试样性能最优;4组试样经800℃～室温空冷热震15次后的抗折强度保持率均在90%以上,表明材料具有良好的抗热震性能。     

Si3N4对镁质浇注料抗渣性能的影响

以95烧结镁砂为主要原料,以SiO2微粉为结合剂,在配料的细粉部分分别以0、3%、4%、5%的β-Si3N4细粉替代等量的镁砂细粉,搅拌均匀后浇注成氮化硅含量不同的镁质坩埚试样。选用宝钢中间包渣,采用静态坩埚法,在1550℃3h条件下对这些坩埚试样进行了抗渣试验。试验结果表明:加入Si3N4可以明显改善镁质浇注料的抗渣性能,并且随着Si3N4加入量的增加,试样的抗渣性能提高;在含氮化硅的镁质浇注料表面,由于Si3N4被氧化为SiO2而形成了致密烧结层,能阻止渣的进一步渗透;在加入Si3N4的镁质浇注料试样内部深处,由于氧分压非常低,Si3N4稳定存在;由于Si3N4在还原气氛下难以烧结,造成镁质浇注料内部结构疏松。     

Effect of Si3N4 on Resistance of Magnesia Based Castable

The magnesia based curable specimens with different Si3N4 contents were casted using sintered magnesite （w（MgO）=95%） as starting material, SiO2 micro-powder as binder, 0.3%, 4% and 5% β-Si3N4 powder replacing the equal addition of magnesia powder respectively. The slag resistance test was carried out at 1550℃ for 3h using Baosteel tundish slag and static crucible method. The result indicates that： introducing Si3N4 could obviously improve the slag resistance of MgO based castable, which increased with increasing Si3N4. Dense SiO2 sintered layer formed on the surface of magnesia based castable because of the oxidation of Si3N4 addition, which can prevent the further slag penetration. In the deep inner of castable, the partial-pressure of oxygen was very low, so Si3N4 can exist stably. Meanwhile in reducing atmosphere, Si3N4 was hard to be sintered, which resulted in the loose interior structure of MgO based castable.