Anomalous codeposition of Co–Ni: alloys from gluconate baths

Thin films of cobalt–nickel alloys were galvanostatically deposited onto steel substrates from gluconate baths. Cathodic polarization curves were determined for the parent metals and Co–Ni alloy. The effects of bath composition, current density and temperature on cathodic current efficiency (CCE) and alloy composition were studied. The deposition of Co–Ni alloy is of anomalous type, in which the less noble metal (Co) is preferentially deposited. The CCE of codeposition is high and increases with increase in temperature and current density, but it decreases as the [Co²⁺]/[Ni²⁺] ratio in the bath increases. The percentage of Co in the deposit increases with increasing cathodic current density, temperature and increasing Co²⁺ ion concentration. The structure and surface morphology of the deposit were studied by XRD, ALSV and SEM. The results showed that the alloys consisted of a single solid solution phase with a hexagonal close packed structure.     

Soft magnetic properties of Ni–Cr and Co–Cr alloy thin films electrodeposited from aqueous solutions containing trivalent chromium ions and glycine

Ferromagnetic Ni–Cr and Co–Cr alloy thin films were electrodeposited from aqueous solution containing trivalent chromium (Cr³⁺) ions and glycine. According to the Tafel slopes obtained from the cathode polarization curves for Ni–Cr and Co–Cr alloy deposition, it was estimated that Cr³⁺ ions inhibited Ni²⁺ and Co²⁺ ions from electrodepositing. Ni and Co preferentially electrodeposited rather than Cr and the electrodeposition process of Ni–Cr and Co–Cr was categorized to “normal co-deposition type.” At the cathode potential of −1.8 V versus Ag/AgCl/KCl sat., Ni—9.5 %Cr and Co—8.4 %Cr alloy deposits were obtained. X-ray diffraction patterns of the electrodeposits revealed that pure Ni and pure Co consist of large crystal grains, while Ni—9.5 %Cr and Co—8.4 %Cr alloys were composed of a solid solution phase with fine crystal grains. Magnetization of Ni—9.5 %Cr and Co—8.4 %Cr alloy thin films with fine crystalline phase reached to saturation at ca. 2.5 kOe in perpendicular direction to the film plane, while pure Ni and pure Co thin film with large crystal grains were hardly magnetized in the perpendicular direction. Soft magnetic properties were improved with increasing Cr content in the deposits.     

Electrodeposition and corrosion behaviour of a Ni–W–B amorphous alloy

Electrodeposition of Ni–W–B alloys from plating baths containing ammonia and citrate is reported. Optimum conditions for plating including current density, temperature, mechanical agitation and pH were studied. The corrosion resistance and amorphous character were also evaluated. The operational conditions for depositing the alloy with good corrosion resistance were: current density 35 mA cm⁻², bath temperature 40 °C, pH 9.0 and cathode rotation at 90 rpm. The alloy was deposited at 38% current efficiency, with an average composition of 73 wt% Ni, 27 wt% W and traces of boron and with E _corr −0.300 V and R _p 3.369×10⁴ Ω. The deposit obtained under these conditions had an amorphous character with the presence of some microcracks on its surface reaching down to the copper substrate. Electrochemical corrosion tests verified that the Ni–W–B alloy had better corrosion resistance than Co–W–B.     

Electroless nickel–phosphorus deposition on carbon steel CK-75 and study of the effects of some parameters on properties of the deposits

Electroless nickel–phosphorus (Ni–P) deposition provides coatings with high hardness and excellent resistance to wear and abrasion. In this study, autocatalytic deposition of Ni–P alloy has been carried out on steel CK-75 sheets from bath containing nickel sulfate hexahydrate, sodium hypophosphite hydrate, thiourea, lactic acid, and sodium acetate. The effects of lactic acid concentration, pH and temperature on deposition rate, composition of deposits, and hardness have been studied. Also the changes in the hardness and structure of deposits by heat-treatment were studied by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy methods. It is shown that deposits crystallized after heat-treatment at 400°C for 1 h and crystallization to Ni and Ni₃P was observed.     

Electrodeposition behavior of zinc–nickel–iron alloys from sulfate bath

The present work is directed at collecting the properties of Zn–Ni and Zn–Fe alloys in one alloy via the electrodeposition of Zn–Ni–Fe ternary alloy. Electrodeposition of ternary Zn–Ni–Fe alloy was investigated and compared with the characteristics of Zn–Ni electrodeposits. The electrodeposition was performed from a sulfate bath onto a steel substrate. Structural analysis by X-ray diffraction (XRD) method revealed that the Zn–Ni–Fe alloys consisted of a mixture of zinc, and (γ-Ni₂Zn₁₁) and (Fe₃Ni₂) phases. The study was carried out using electrochemical methods such as cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic for electrodeposition, while anodic linear polarization resistance and anodic linear sweeping voltammetry techniques were used for the corrosion study. Surface morphology and chemical composition of the deposits were also examined by using scanning electron microscopy and atomic absorption spectroscopy, respectively. It was found that the obtained Zn–Ni–Fe alloy exhibited more preferred surface appearance and better corrosion resistance without adding any organic brighteners to the plating bath in comparison to Zn–Ni alloy that electrodeposited at similar conditions. Results obtained revealed that the increase in corrosion resistance of ternary deposits is not only attributed to the formation of (γ-Ni₂Zn₁₁) phase, but also to iron codeposition and formation of (Fe₃Ni₂) phase.     

Pulse current electrodeposition and corrosion properties of Ni–W alloy coatings

Ni–W alloy coatings were prepared on a mild steel substrate by means of pulse current (PC) and compared to the coatings electrodeposited by direct current (DC). In particular the study dealt with the influence of the frequency using pulse current on the surface morphology while maintaining a constant duty cycle. A constant charge for DC and PC electrodeposition of Ni–W alloy coatings was used. The morphology of the coatings was explored by scanning electron microscopy and the composition of the coatings was analysed by X-ray powder diffraction and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. Corrosion resistance of Ni–W alloy coatings was investigated by potentiodynamic polarization in a chloride medium. The corrosion products were analysed by Raman spectroscopy. It was found that the temperature of the electrolysis affects current efficiency of the DC and PC electrodeposition. The frequency of pulse electrodeposition alters the morphology of the Ni–W alloy coatings. There was evidence of the positive influence of increased tungstate concentration in the electrolyte on corrosion resistance of the Ni–W alloy coatings.     

Microstructure and corrosion behavior of electroless Ni�CP coatings on 6061 aluminum alloys

The microstructure and corrosion behavior of electroless Ni–P alloy plating on 6061 aluminum alloys substrate in an alkaline plating bath with sodium hypophosphite as reducing agent were investigated. The effects of bath temperature on the plating rate, compositions, and microstructure of the electroless Ni–P deposits were studied. The results showed that the deposition rate and the P content of the electroless Ni–P deposits increased with the rise of the bath temperature. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the deposits showed nodular structure for binary deposits. X-ray diffraction patterns of all the deposits revealed a single and broad peak which indicated the amorphous structure of the deposits. Corrosion resistance of the Ni–P coatings was evaluated by potentiodynamic polarization. The results indicated that electroless Ni–P plating could obviously improve the corrosion resistance of 6061 aluminum alloy.     

Influence of cobalt on manganese incorporation in Ni–Co coatings

The effect of alloying <1 wt% Mn with plain Ni, Ni–Co alloys and plain Co coatings in terms of the structure and properties has been studied. The alloys were electrodeposited from an additive free sulphamate electrolyte. The Mn concentration in the electrolyte was maintained at 5 g L⁻¹ so as to obtain <1 wt% Mn content in the alloy coatings. The Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) showed that the Mn content reduced from 0.97 to 0.05 wt% with increase in Co content from 0 to 98 wt% in the alloy coating. An increase in microhardness was obtained on the addition of Mn to Ni/Ni–Co alloys. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) studies revealed a change in crystal structure and morphology. Pin-on-disc tribology test revealed better wear performance of Ni–18 wt%Co–Mn alloy coating compared to the other Ni–Mn/Ni–Co–Mn alloy coatings.     

Preparation and characterization of nanocrystalline Fe–Ni–Cr alloy electrodeposits on Fe substrate

Fe–Ni–Cr alloy layers were prepared by electrodeposition from trivalent chromium plating bath in chloride-sulfate based solution. The influences of bath composition and plating parameters on the alloy electrodeposition process and the properties of deposited alloy were studied. The effects of plating parameters and bath composition such as current density, bath pH, bath temperature, the concentrations of FeSO₄ · 7H₂O and CrCl₃ · 6H₂O on the contents of Fe and Cr in Fe–Ni–Cr alloy layer were investigated. Electrodeposited Fe–Ni–Cr alloy layers on Fe substrate were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Electronic Differential System (EDS) and a CHI600B electrochemistry workstation. The composition of the Fe–Ni–Cr coatings depends on bath composition and plating conditions including pH, current density, and temperature. The internal structure of the alloy is nanocrystalline, the average grain size is 87 nm, and the corrosion resistance of the alloy layers is better than that of pure nickel layers.     

Electroless deposition of ternary Ni–P alloy coatings containing tungsten or nano-scattered alumina composite on steel

The performance of ternary electroless deposited Ni–P–W and Ni–P–alumina composite coatings on low carbon steel substrates was studied. The effect of experimental parameters, such as temperature, pH, nickel sulfate concentration, sodium hypophosphite concentration, sodium citrate concentration, and deposition time on the deposition rate were investigated. The coating brightness, coherence, and uniform surface distribution were improved due to addition of W and alumina. The coating performance was evaluated based on the wear-resistance, micro-hardness, and corrosion resistance. The Ni–P–W ternary alloy coatings showed the highest micro hardness, wear-resistance, brightness, and corrosion resistance. The improvement in the performance of Ni–P–W coatings can be explained by the formation of a tungsten phosphide phase.     

Effect of copper content on the properties of Ni–Cu–P plated polyester fabric

The copper content of electroless Ni–Cu–P-plated polyester fabric mainly depends on the copper ion concentration in the plating solution, which in turn has a significant effect on the properties of the coatings. The effects of copper sulphate concentration (CuSO₄) on the deposition rate, composition, surface morphology, crystal structure, surface resistance and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness of electroless Ni–Cu–P deposits were investigated. The results show that the copper content in the deposits increased significantly, whereas nickel content decreased significantly and phosphorus content decreased slightly with a higher copper ion concentration. Compact coating layers were obtained with a nodular morphology. With increase of copper ion concentration in the solution, the crystallinity of the deposits also increased. In addition, the surface resistance decreased and the EMI shielding effectiveness of the Ni–Cu–P deposits increased.     

Influence of variables in nickel-manganese-zinc alloy plating from a sulphate bath

An Ni-Mn-Zn alloy has been satisfactorily electrodeposited from a sulphate bath containing nickel sulphate (20–23 g dm⁻³), manganese sulphate (76–88 g dm⁻³), zinc sulphate (18–24 g dm⁻³), ammonium sulphate (30 g dm⁻³), thiourea (18g dm⁻³) and ascorbic acid (0.8 g dm⁻³) under various plating conditions, namely, current density 1.0–3.0 A dm⁻²; temperature 30–45° C; pH 2.7–4.2 and duration of electrolysis 15–30 min. Semibright, blackish-grey, thin films were generally deposited with the proportion of nickel and manganese in the deposits increasing with increasing current density, temperature and duration of electrolysis. However, the amount of zinc increased as the pH of the solution was raised. The cathode efficiency for alloy deposition increased linearly as the temperature or the pH of the solution was decreased, whereas at any particular pH and temperature it continuously rose with increasing current density or the time of deposition. The cathode polarization shifted to more negative values on increasing the current density and to less negative values at higher pH values and temperatures which consequently lowered the throwing power under the latter conditions.     

Investigation of electroless plating of Ni–W–P alloy films

The electroless deposition of Ni–W–P alloy coatings onto metal substrates using H₂PO₂ ^– as reducing agent from solutions containing nickel sulfate, sodium tungstate, sodium citrate, ammonium sulfate and other additives was studied. At most temperatures (60–80 °C) and pHs (7–11) investigated, bright and coherent coatings uniform in appearance were produced. Phosphorous and tungsten contents ranging from 3.5 to 8 wt % and 0.5 to 6 wt %, respectively, were obtained depending upon solution temperature and pH. Trends such as the effects of pH and temperature on average metal deposition rate and the P content in the alloy are similar to that reported previously for the Ni–P system. Correlation of open-circuit potentials with events occurring at the electrode surface in different solutions and polarization curves provide strong evidence that Ni²⁺ ions participate in W and P deposition, H₂ evolution and H₂PO₂ ^– oxidation and that H₂PO₂ ^– ions participate in cathodic reduction. This indicates that the partial reactions for the Ni–W–P system do not occur independently of one another.     

Influence of nickel ions for electroless Ni–P plating on polyester fabric

Properties of electroless Ni–P plated polyester fabric mainly depend on the plating bath constituents/conditions. The effects of NiSO₄ concentration of the plating bath on the deposition rate, phosphorus content, surface morphology, and crystal structure of the electroless Ni–P plated polyester fabric were investigated. The study revealed that phosphorus content in the deposits decreased at higher NiSO₄ concentration. SEM micrographs showed that nodule size of the Ni–P deposits increased. All the Ni–P deposits had an amorphous structure. The electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness (SE) of electroless Ni–P plated polyester fabric was evaluated. With the rise of nickel ion in the solution, the EMI SE of the Ni–P plated polyester fabric increased.     

High-performance Sn–Ni alloy nanorod electrodes prepared by electrodeposition for lithium ion rechargeable batteries

To reduce irreversible capacity and improve cycle performance of tin used in lithium ion batteries, Sn–Ni alloy nanorod electrodes with different Sn/Ni ratios were prepared by an anodic aluminum oxide template-assisted electrodeposition method. The structural and electrochemical performance of the electrode were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, cyclic voltammetry, and galvanostatic charge–discharge cycling measurement. The results showed that the copper substrate is covered with uniformly distributed Sn–Ni alloy nanorods with an average diameter of 250 nm. Different phases (Sn, Ni₃Sn₄ and metastable phases) of alloy nanorod formed in the electrodeposition baths with different compositions of Sn²⁺ and Ni²⁺ ions. Sn–Ni alloy nanorod electrode delivered excellent capacity retention and rate performance.     

Electrochemical characterization of Ni–P and Ni–Co–P amorphous alloy deposits obtained by electrodeposition

Ni–P and Ni–Co–P amorphous alloy deposits were obtained by electrodeposition at 80 °C on carbon steel substrates. The influence of the electrolyte Co²⁺ concentration and of applied current density was investigated. The corrosion behaviour of amorphous and crystalline deposits was evaluated by polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in NaCl 0.1 M solution at room temperature. Impedances were measured for samples under total immersion (free potential against time) and for polarized samples in predefined regions of the polarization curves. It was found that the alloy deposit composition is highly affected by the composition of the electrolyte but displays no significant dependence on applied current density. The results showed that the presence of Co on Ni–P amorphous alloys improves the deposit performance in the studied corrosive medium. It was also verified that the amorphous structure provides higher corrosion resistance to both Ni–P and Ni–Co–P alloys.     

Study of the mechanical and structural properties of Zn–Ni–Co ternary alloy electroplating

Ternary zinc–nickel–cobalt alloys were electrodeposited on steel substrates from sulfate bath by direct current. Microstructural and mechanical properties of Zn–Ni–Co ternary alloy coatings were investigated and contrasted with the characteristics of Zn–Ni and Zn–Co alloy coatings. It was found that the obtained Zn–Ni–Co alloy exhibited more preferred surface morphology and mechanical properties as compared to the other alloy coatings electroplated at the same conditions. X-ray diffraction studies showed that the deposits of Zn–Ni–Co alloy coatings consisted of Zn, ZnNi₃, and ZnCo₁₃ phases. The structure, surface morphology, and surface topography of the deposited alloys were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). In addition, hardness, elasticity modulus, and adhesion strength of coated alloys were measured with dynamic ultra-microhardness (DUH) and Scratch tester.     

Development of a bath for codeposition of copper and platinum

To improve the mechanical properties of electrodeposited copper, a new bath was developed for the codeposition of copper and platinum. A pyrophosphate bath employing chloroplatinic acid as a source of platinum was investigated at current densities ranging from 1 to 4 A dm⁻² and temperatures from 20 to 60 °C. Bright, shiny and crack-free deposits were obtained at low current densities (i.e., 1–2 A dm⁻²). The amount of platinum observed in the deposits was found to increase with the current density and bath temperature. The Knoop hardness was found to increase with platinum content in the deposits. Corrosion rates measured in solutions of NaCl were found to decrease with platinum content. Deposits containing up to 3.9 wt % of platinum can be obtained by electrodeposition. As compared to electrodeposited copper from the acid bath, the Cu—Pt deposits exhibited a 17% increase in Knoop hardness and a 21% increase in corrosion resistance.     

Electrodeposition of Zn−Ni−Fe alloy in acidic chloride bath with separated anodes

The electrodeposition of ternary Zn–Ni–Fe alloy films was investigated in acidic chloride electrolyte. Electrodeposition was performed onto mild steel plates at pH 3 and 43°C. The influence of the chloride concentration (ZnCl₂, NiCl₂ and FeCl₂) on the surface appearance and deposit composition, as well as cathodic current efficiency, were investigated. Bright Zn–Ni–Fe alloy deposits were obtained in the electrolyte containing 0.4m of each of ZnCl₂ and NiCl₂ with 0.02 to 0.08m FeCl₂. The influence of current density, pH and temperature were also examined.     

Preparation of Catalyst Ni–Cu/CNTs by Chemical Reduction with Formaldehyde for Steam Reforming of Methanol

The novel catalyst Ni–Cu alloys supported on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was prepared by reduction with formaldehyde and applied in steam reforming of methanol. With nitric acid and sulfuric acid to create defects on the surface of CNTs and using ethanol to improve the hydrophilicity of CNTs, the Ni–Cu alloys were anchored on the surface of CNTs by co-reduction of Ni- and Cu-precursors under the use of tetra-n-methylammonium hydroxide to reduce the aggregation of Ni–Cu particles. In contrast, Ni–Cu catalyst supported on activated carbon (Ni–Cu/C) was prepared as well, and the bimetal of Ni and Cu supported on CNTs (Ni/Cu/CNTs) was attained by successive reduction of first Cu- and then Ni-precursors. The catalysts were characterized with XRD, ED, FESEM, transmission electron microscopy, and Thermogravimetric analysis. The hydrogen yield in steam reforming of methanol was near 100% at 360 °C over 20 wt.% Ni₂₀–Cu₈₀/CNTs. The catalytic activity of Ni₂₀–Cu₈₀/CNTs is much higher than that of Ni₂₀–Cu₈₀/C and Ni₂₀/Cu₈₀/CNTs.