The effect of nonmetallic element P in electroless Ni‐P coating on the passivation process during chemical conversion treatment

Pure Ni and electroless Ni‐P coating (ENPC) were passivated by a chemical conversion treatment. The passive films formed on pure Ni and ENPCs (with content of P 2.9, 7.2 and 11.7 at.% respectively) were analyzed by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). High‐resolution XPS was also used to analyze the chemical states of the elements detected in the passive films. The results indicated that the detected Ni and P were in elemental states, and no compound with Ni and P element was detected in passive film, meaning that Ni and P did not participate in the formation of the passive film. The content of film‐forming reaction product in passive film increases with the content of element P in Ni‐P coating, suggesting that the nonmetallic P in Ni‐P coating played an important role in the formation of the passive film. The XPS results were used to analyze the formation mechanism of the passive film. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.