Electrodeposited Ni-W-TiC Composite Coatings:Effect of TiC Reinforcement on Microstructural and Tribological Properties

Ni-W-TiC composite coatings were prepared via electrodeposition technique by dispersing the different amount of TiC particles into the plating bath.The Ni-W and Ni-W-TiC composite coatings containing different concentrations of TiC particles were characterized by using the scanning electron microscope,X-ray diffraction technique,Vickers microhardness test,surface roughness test,and tribology test.The results show that the Ni-W coatings containing reinforced TiC particles have shown a typical FCC Ni-W crystal structure with significantly higher Vickers microhardness.The amount of dispersed TiC particles into the plating bath considerably affected codeposition weight percent of TiC into the Ni-W matrix,as revealed by the EDS analysis.Ni-W-TiC samples demonstrated the decreased abrasive wear as compared to Ni-W coating and no characteristic features observed for the adhesive wear.Similarly,an improvement in coefficient of friction was observed in Ni-W-TiC composite coating as compared to Ni-W coating.