Effect of Annealing Temperature and Alumina Particles on Mechanical and Tribological Properties of Ni-P-Al2O3 Composite Coatings

In this study, the effect of annealing temperature and alumina particles on micro-hardness, corrosion, wear, and friction of Ni-P-Al₂O₃ composites coating is studied. The electroless nickel composite coating with various alumina particle content is deposited on a mild steel substrate. The corrosion behaviour and tribological behaviour (wear and friction) of the composite coated samples are investigated and compared with Ni-P coated samples. The micro-hardness, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance of the composite coating improved significantly after heat treatment (400 °C) and in the presence of alumina particles. The composite coating deposited with alumina particle concentration of 10 g/L in an electroless bath and heat treated at 400 °C shows excellent results compared to Ni-P, as-deposited Ni-P-Al₂O₃ coating and coatings heat treated at different annealing temperature (200 °C, 300 °C, and 500 °C). Microstructure changes and composition of the composite coatings due to incorporation of alumina particles and heat treatment are studied with the help of SEM (scanning electron microscopy), EDX (energy dispersive X-ray analysis and XRD (X-ray diffraction analysis).