Effect of PTFE Addition on the Properties of Electroless Ni-Cu-P-PTFE Deposits

The effect of PTFE addition on electroless Ni-Cu-P-PTFE deposit was investigated, such as surface morphology, phase composition and microhardness, as well as adhesion strength and friction properties. The electroless Ni-Cu-P-PTFE deposits with different PTFE contents were prepared on mild steel (1015) substrate surface by adjusting different process parameters. The surface morphologies and microhardnesses of the deposits were investigated by SEM and MH-6 Vickers, respectively. Adhesion strength and friction coefficient were measured by using MFT-4000 multifunctional surface material performance instrument. The results show that the deposition rate of the Ni-Cu-P-PTFE deposit increases with the increase of PTFE concentration. Further experiments indicate that the PTFE particles co-deposited in the composite deposit will reduce the microhardness due to their softness properties and loose structure. With the increasing of PTFE concentration, the adhesion strength decreases. Moreover, the addition of PTFE particles reduces the friction coefficient, and the friction coefficient is in inverse proportion to the content of PTFE particles in the deposits, but not to the concentration of PTFE in the bath