Mechanical properties and wear and corrosion resistance of electrodeposited Ni-Co/SiC nanocomposite coating

Ni-Co/SiC nanocomposite coatings with various contents of SiC nano-particulates were prepared by electrodeposition in a Ni-Co plating bath containing SiC nano-particulates to be co-deposited. The influences of the nanoparticulates concentration, current density, stirring rate and temperature of the plating bath on the composition of the coatings were investigated. The shape and size of the SiC nano-particulates were observed and determined using a transmission electron microscope. The polarization behavior of the composite plating bath was examined on a PAR-273A potentiostat/galvanostat device. The wear behavior of the Ni-Co/SiC nanocomposite coatings was evaluated on a ball-on-disk UMT-2MT test rig. The worn surface morphologies of the Ni-Co/SiC nanocomposite coatings were observed using a scanning electron microscope. The corrosion behavior of the nanocomposite coatings was evaluated by charting the Tafel curves of the solution of 0.5 mol L⁻¹ NaCl at room temperature. It was found that the cathodic polarization potential of the composite electrolyte increased with increasing SiC concentration in the plating bath. The microhardness and wear and corrosion resistance of the nanocomposite coatings also increased with increasing content of the nano-SiC in the plating bath, and the morphologies of the nanocomposite coatings varied with varying SiC concentration in the plating bath as well. Moreover, the co-deposited SiC nano-particulates were uniformly distributed in the Ni-Co matrix and contributed to greatly increase the microhardness and wear resistance of the Ni-Co alloy coating.     

Friction and wear properties of the co-deposited Ni-SiC nanocomposite coating

Ni-SiC nanocomposite coatings were produced by electrodeposition from a nickel sulfate bath containing SiC nanoparticles with an average particle size of 30 nm. The characteristics of the coatings were assessed by scanning electron microscopy and microhardness test. The friction and wear performance of Ni-SiC nanocomposite coatings and Ni film were comparatively investigated sliding against Si₃N₄ ceramic balls under non-lubricated conditions. The results indicated that compared to Ni film, Ni-SiC nanocomposite coating exhibited enhanced microhardness and wear resistance. The effect of SiC nanoparticles on the friction and wear resistance is discussed in detail.     

Ni-Co-TiO2 nanocomposite coating prepared by pulse and pulse reversal methods using acetate bath

Ni-Co/nano TiO₂ (Ni-Co-TiO₂) composite coatings were prepared under pulse current and pulse reverse current methods using acetate bath. The microstructure and corrosion resistance of the coatings were characterized by means of XRD, SEM and EIS. Both the Ni-Co alloy and composite coatings exhibited single phase of Ni matrix with face centered cubic (fcc) crystal structure. The crystal orientation of the Ni-Co-TiO₂ composite coating was transformed from crystal face (2 0 0) to (1 1 1) compared with Ni-Co alloy coatings. The results showed that the microstructure and performances of the coatings were greatly affected by TiO₂ content on the deposits prepared by PC and PRC methods. The microhardness and corrosion resistance were enhanced in the optimum percentage of TiO₂ composite coatings. The PRC composite coatings were exhibited from compact surface, higher microhardness and good corrosion resistance compared with that of the PC composite coating.     

Composite Ni-Co-fly ash coatings on 5083 aluminium alloy

Ni-Co-fly ash coatings were deposited on zincate treated 5083 wrought aluminium alloy substrates with the aid of the electrodeposition technique. Structural and chemical characterization of the produced composite coatings was performed with the aid of X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron dispersive X-ray analysis (EDS) techniques. The Ni-Co-fly ash coatings were found to consist of a crystalline Ni-Co solid solution with dispersed fly ash particles. In addition, chemical analysis of the Ni-Co matrix showed that it consisted of 80 wt.% Ni and 20 wt.% Co. The co-deposition of fly ash particles leads to a significant increase of the microhardness of the coating. The corrosion behaviour of the Ni-Co-fly ash/zincate coated aluminium alloy, in a 0.3 M NaCl solution (pH = 3.5), was studied by means of potentiodynamic corrosion experiments.     

Microstructure and properties of Ni-Co/nano-Al2O3 composite coatings by pulse reversal current electrodeposition

Ni-Co/nano-Al₂O₃ (Ni-Co/Al₂O₃) composite coatings were prepared under pulse reversal current (PRC) and direct current (dc) methods respectively. The microstructure of coatings was characterized by means of XRD, SEM and TEM. Both the Ni-Co alloy and composite coatings exhibit single phase of Ni matrix with face-centered cubic (fcc) crystal structure, and the crystal orientation of the Ni-Co/Al₂O₃ composite coating was transformed from crystal face (2 0 0) to (1 1 1) compared with alloy coatings. The hardness, anti-wear property and macro-residual stress were also investigated. The results showed that the microstructure and performance of the coatings were greatly affected by Al₂O₃ content and the electrodeposition methods. With the increasing of Al₂O₃ content, the hardness and wear resistance of the composite coatings enhanced. The PRC composite coatings exhibited compact surface, high hardness, better wear resistance and lower macro-residual stress compared with that of the dc composite coatings.     

Preparation and characterization of nickel nano-Al2O3 composite coatings by sediment co-deposition

Ni-Al₂O₃ composite coatings were prepared by using sediment co-deposition (SCD) technique and conventional electroplating (CEP) technique from Watt's type electrolyte without any additives. The microstructure, hardness, and wear resistance of resulting composites were investigated. The results show that the incorporation of nano-Al₂O₃ particles changes the surface morphology of nickel matrix. The preferential orientation is modified from (2 0 0) plane to (1 1 1) plane. The microhardness of Ni-Al₂O₃ composite coatings in the SCD technique are higher than that of the CEP technique and pure Ni coating and increase with the increasing of the nano-Al₂O₃ particles concentration in plating solution. The wear rate of the Ni-Al₂O₃ composite coating fabricated via SCD technique with 10 g/l nano-Al₂O₃ particles in plating bath is approximately one order of magnitude lower than that of pure Ni coating. Wear resistance for SCD obtained composite coatings is superior to that obtained by the CEP technique. The wear mechanism of pure Ni and nickel nano-Al₂O₃ composite coatings are adhesive wear and abrasive wear, respectively.     

Electrodeposition and tribological properties of Ni-SrSO4 composite coatings

Ni-SrSO₄ composite coatings were electrodeposited on superalloy Inconel 718 from a Watts electrolyte containing a SrSO₄ suspension. Ni-SrSO₄ coatings were investigated by scanning electron microscope, microhardness tester, and friction and wear tester in sliding against a bearing steel ball under unlubricated condition. The incorporation of SrSO₄ into Ni matrix increases the microhardness of electrodeposited coatings. Ni-SrSO₄ composite coating exhibits a distinctly low friction coefficient and a small wear rate as contrasted with pure Ni coating and the substrate. The effect of SrSO₄ particles on microstructure and tribological properties of Ni-SrSO₄ composite coatings is discussed.     

Effects of Co and W alloying elements on the electrodeposition aspects and properties of nanocrystalline Ni alloy coatings

Depending on deposition current density and alloying elements, various types of surface structure (surface morphology and grain orientation) were observed for Ni and Ni alloy nanocrystalline coatings. It was found that the variation of surface morphology with current density is in a good agreement with the variation of grain orientation. An increase in the current density produced larger grains and also reduced the charge transfer resistance and growth inhibition intensity which may change the surface structure of the coatings. For Ni coatings, the effect of surface structure on the corrosion resistance was detected to be superior to that of grain size. In the case of Ni-Co coating and at different deposition current densities, Co content and surface structure were recognized as the major factors influencing the corrosion resistance. Surface structure was also a more important factor determining the corrosion resistance of Ni-W coatings. In Ni-Co-W coatings, surface structure and grain size of the coatings were found to be independent of deposition current density. This is believed to be due to the simultaneous contrary effects of Co and W elements.     

Ti6Al4V合金表面激光沉积复合涂层的组织和性能

为了增强Ti6Al4V钛合金的耐磨性,采用激光沉积制造方法在其表面上制备了以原位生成的TiC颗粒和直接添加的WC颗粒为增强相的耐磨涂层,观察了各涂层的微观组织,并测量了涂层的显微硬度和涂层在室温大气条件下的摩擦磨损性能。结果表明各涂层和基体呈现冶金结合,原位自生的TiC和部分熔化的WC颗粒均能够均匀弥散分布于基体上,由于增强相颗粒的弥散强化及激光沉积组织的细晶强化作用,基材的硬度和耐磨性均得到了提高。原位自生的TiC涂层比WC涂层硬度梯度分布平缓,但耐磨性稍差。     

Electrodeposition of Ni-Co composites containing nano-CeO2 and their structure, properties

One of the most powerful rare earth oxides, ceria CeO₂ was incorporated in Ni matrix and the effect of cobalt addition in the matrix, on the structure and properties has been studied. The amount of cobalt incorporated in the Ni matrix was in the range of 25-85 wt.%. The presence of cobalt resulted in a marginal variation in CeO₂ content from 5 to 8 wt.%. The microhardness studies revealed that a maximum value of 540 Hk_50gf was obtained in the presence of 25 wt.% cobalt in Ni-CeO₂ matrix compared to 50 and 85 wt.% addition. The presence of 25 wt.% cobalt in Ni-CeO₂ matrix also improved its wear resistance as seen from Tribology studies. The wear products were identified using Raman Spectroscopy. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies showed that an increase in cobalt content from 25 to 85 wt.% resulted in a change in crystal structure from fcc to hcp. A change in surface morphology with variation in cobalt content was seen from scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It was perceived from the thermal stability studies that the presence of 85 wt.% cobalt in Ni-CeO₂ matrix imparted better stability in microhardness at temperatures up to 800 °C. Although, the incorporation of cobalt in Ni-CeO₂ matrix enhanced the microhardness, wear resistance and thermal stability it did not improve the corrosion resistance as noticed from immersion corrosion studies.     

Taguchi approach for characterization of three-body abrasive wear of carbon-epoxy composite with and without SiC filler

Fiber–matrix interfacial bonding plays a critical role in controlling performance properties of polymer composites. Carbon fibers have major constraints of chemical inertness with the matrix and need the surface treatment to improve the adhesion with the matrix. In this work, parametric appraisal of three-body abrasive wear behavior was presented for silane treated carbon fabric reinforced epoxy (C-E) composites with and without silane treated silicon carbide (SiC) as filler. The fiber content was fixed at 60?wt.%, while the weight fraction of SiC was varied (5 and 10?wt.%) to obtain three different compositions. Three-body abrasive wear tests were conducted using design of experiments approach based on Taguchi’s orthogonal arrays. The findings of experiments indicate that the wear loss is greatly influenced by load and grain size of abrasive. An optimal parameter combination was determined, which leads to maximization of abrasion resistance. Inclusion of SiC filler reasonably increased the abrasion resistance of C-E composite. Analysis of variance results showed that the load significantly influenced the abrasion of SiC filled C-E composites. Efforts were also made to correlate the abrasive wear performance of SiC filled C-E composites using artificial neural network (ANN). The wear behavior of composite by ANN prediction closely matched the experimental results and finally, optimal wear settings for minimum wear were identified.     

Electrodeposited nickel-cobalt composite coating containing MoS2

Ni-Co/MoS₂ composite coatings were prepared by electrodeposition in a Ni-Co plating bath containing nano-sized MoS₂ particles to be co-deposited. The polarization behavior of the composite plating bath was examined on a PAR-273A potentiostat/galvanostat device. The friction and wear behaviors of the Ni-Co/MoS₂ composite coatings were evaluated with UMT-2MT test rig in a ball-on-disk contact mode. The morphologies of the original and worn surfaces of the composite coatings were observed on scanning electron microscope (SEM). It was found that the introduction of MoS₂ nano-particulates in the electrolyte caused the shift towards larger negatives of the reduction potential of the Ni-Co alloy coating, and the co-deposited MoS₂ showed no significant effect on the electrodeposition process of the Ni-Co alloy coating. However, the co-deposited MoS₂ led to changes in the surface morphology and structure of the composite coating as well. Namely, the peak width of the Ni-Co solid solution for the composite coating is broader as compared to that of the Ni-Co alloy coating. The co-deposited MoS₂ particulates were uniformly distributed in the Ni-Co matrix and contributed to increase tribological properties of the Ni-Co alloy coating.     

Behaviour of heat treated Co-Cr2O3 electrodeposited surfaces under tribological conditions

Surface mechanical properties could be altered if a coating with a second phase of fine tough particles is given. There is increasing demand for the wear resistant composite coatings to minimize the surface damage at elevated temperatures also. Cobalt depositions with Cr₂O₃ in the matrix have been studied for their surface performance at higher temperatures. Effect of heat treatment was studied from the view point of operating performance against abrasive wear. Surface microhardness and material loss due to rubbing abrasion after heat treatment in the range of 100 to 650 °C for a constant time are reported. The composite containing 14% by volume of Cr₂O₃ in Co film heat treated at 550 to 650 °C was found to exhibit high abrasive resistance due to the formation of a glass like layer. Paper presented at the 2nd International Conference on Ionic Devices, Anna University, Channai, India, Nov. 28–30, 2003.     

Physical and electrochemical characterizations of Ni-SiO2 nanocomposite coatings

Advances in materials performance often require the development of composite system. In the present investigation, SiO₂-reinforced nickel composite coatings were deposited on a mild steel substrate using direct current electrodeposition process employing a nickel acetate bath. Surface morphology, composition, microstructure and crystal orientation of the Ni and Ni-SiO₂ nanocomposite coatings were investigated by scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis, respectively. The effect of incorporation of SiO₂ particles in the Ni nanocomposite coating on the microhardness and corrosion behaviour has been evaluated. Smooth composite deposits containing well-distributed silicon oxide particles were obtained. The preferred growth process of the nickel matrix in crystallographic directions <111>, <200> and <220> is strongly influenced by SiO₂ nanoparticles. The average crystallite size was calculated by using X-ray diffraction analysis and it was ~23 nm for electrodeposited nickel and ~21 nm for Ni-SiO₂ nanocomposite coatings. The crystallite structure was fcc for electrodeposited nickel and Ni-SiO₂ nanocomposite coatings. The incorporation of SiO₂ particles into the Ni matrices was found to improve corrosion resistance of pure Ni coatings. The corrosion potential (E _corr) in the case of Ni-SiO₂ nanocomposite coatings had shown a negative shift, confirming the cathodic protective nature of the coating. The Ni-SiO₂ composite coatings have exhibited significantly improved microhardness (615 HV) compared to pure nickel coatings (265 HV)     

Morphological, mechanical, corrosion and hydrogen permeation characteristics of Ni-nano-TiO2 composite coating compared to Ni electrodeposited on low carbon steel

Ni and Ni-nano-TiO₂ composite coatings with various amounts of TiO₂ in electrolyte, on low carbon steel, have been prepared from Watts-bath using electrodeposition process. The morphological, mechanical, corrosion and hydrogen permeation characteristics of Ni and Ni-nano-TiO₂ coatings were studied and compared with each other. The results revealed that, existence of nano-TiO₂ particles in Ni matrix improved the microstructure as well as microhardness, whereas increasing particle incorporation from 4.33 to 7.62 vol % concluded to microhardness enhancement. The corrosion behavior of Ni and Ni-nano-TiO₂ composite coatings with various amount of particle content was studied by the anodic polarization curves in 5% H₂SO₄ solution at room temperature. It was seen Ni-nano-TiO₂ composite coatings exhibited higher corrosion resistances comparing to pure Ni coating and corrosion protection improved with increasing nano-TiO₂ in coatings. In addition to the corrosion and engineering properties, comparison of hydrogen permeation characteristics of the Ni coating was made with Ni-nano-TiO₂ composite coating through Devanthan-Stachurski hydrogen permeation test. From the resulting data analysis, Ni-nano-TiO₂ composite coating was seen not only to provide longer life under corroding media, but also reduces greatly the risk of the substrate being exposed to hydrogen permeation when compared to electrodeposited Ni coating.     

Microstructure and properties of TiB2-containing coatings prepared by arc spraying

Low cost arc spraying and cored wires were used to deposit composite coatings consisting of TiB₂ and TiB₂/Al₂O₃ hard particles in a Ni(Cr) and stainless steel 304L matrix. Four coatings were prepared namely Ni(Cr)-TiB₂, Ni(Cr)-TiB₂/Al₂O₃, 304L-TiB₂ and 304L-TiB₂/Al₂O₃. The microstructural characteristics of powders and coatings were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Phase compositions of powders were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Although all the analyzed coatings exhibited similar lamella structure, remarkable differences not only in the morphology of hard phase and matrix but also in the size and distribution of hard phases were observed from one coating to another. Tribological behavior of the coatings was analyzed in room temperature dry sliding wear tests (block-on-ring configuration), under 75 N at low velocity (0.5 m/s). The coatings showed far high wear resistance than low carbon steel substrate under same conditions examined. Wear loss of 304L-TiB₂ and Ni(Cr)-TiB₂ coatings were lower nearly 15 times than that of steel substrate. TiB₂ hard phases in coatings bonded well with metal matrix contributed to high wear resistance.     

Effect of pulse electrodeposition parameters on the properties of Ni/nano-SiC composites

Pure nickel and nickel matrix composite deposits containing nano-SiC particles were produced under both direct and pulse current conditions from an additive-free nickel Watts’ type bath. It has been proved that composite electrodeposits prepared under pulse plating conditions exhibited higher incorporation percentages than those obtained under direct plating conditions, especially at low duty cycles. The study of the textural perfection of the deposits revealed that the presence of nano-particles led to the worsening of the quality of the observed [1 0 0] preferred orientation. Composites with high concentration of embedded particles exhibited a mixed crystal orientation through [1 0 0] and [2 1 1] axes. The embedding SiC nano-particles in the metallic matrix by an intra-crystalline mechanism resulted in the production of composite deposits with smaller crystallite sizes and more structural defects than those of pure Ni deposits. A dispersion-hardening effect was revealed for composite coatings independently from applied current conditions. Pulse electrodeposition significantly improved the hardness of the Ni/SiC composite deposits, mainly at low duty cycle and frequency of imposed current pulses.     

Development and characterization of laser surface cladding (Ti,W)C reinforced Ni–30Cu alloy composite coating on copper

To improve the wear resistance of copper components, laser surface cladding (LSC) was applied to deposit (Ti,W)C reinforced Ni–30Cu alloy composite coating on copper using a cladding interlayer of Ni–30Cu alloy by Nd:YAG laser. The microstructure and phases of the composite coating were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray energy dispersive microanalysis (EDX). Microhardness tester and pin-on-disc wear tester were employed to evaluate the hardness and dry-sliding wear resistance. The results show that crack-free composite coating with metallurgical bonding to the copper substrate is obtained. Phases identified in the (Ti,W)C-reinforced Ni–30Cu alloy composite layer are composed of TiWC₂ reinforcements and (Ni,Cu) solid solution. TiWC₂ reinforcements are distributed uniformly in the (Ni,Cu) solid solution matrix with dendritic morphology in the upper region and with particles in the mid-lower region. The microhardness and wear properties of the composite coating are improved significantly in comparison to the as-received copper substrate due to the addition of 50 wt% (Ti,W)C multicarbides.     

Microstructure and properties of TiC-Fe36Ni cermet coatings by reactive plasma spraying using sucrose as carbonaceous precursor

This study is aimed to introduce an innovative precursor pyrolysis process to prepare Ti-Fe-Ni-C compound powder and to discuss and evaluate the relationship between microstructure and properties of TiC-Fe36Ni cermet coatings in-situ synthesized by reactive plasma spraying (RPS) of these compound powders. The main characteristic of the pyrolysis process is that sucrose (C12H22O11) is used as a source of carbon as well as a binder to bind reactive constituent particles. The compound powder with high bonding strength can avoid the problem that reactive constituent particles are separated during spraying. The TiC-Fe36Ni cermet coatings present typical splat-like morphology of thermally sprayed coatings and consist of two different areas: one is a composite reinforcement area where spherical fine TiC particles (100-500 nm) homogeneously distribute within the Fe36Ni matrix; the other is an area of TiC accumulation. The surface hardness of the coatings reaches about 90 ± 2 (HR15N). The maximum and average microhardness values of the coatings are 1930 HV_0.2 (Vicker Hardness) and 1640 HV_0.2, respectively. The average bonding strength of the coatings is about 62.3 MPa. The wear resistance property of the coatings is much more than that of Ni60 alloys coatings.     

Effect of Al content on impact resistance behavior of Al-Ti-B4C composite fabricated under air atmosphere

Reaction behavior, mechanical property and impact resistance of TiC-TiB₂/Al composite reacted from Al-Ti-B₄C system with various Al content via combination method of combustion synthesis and hot pressed sintering under air was investigated. Al content was the key point to the variation of mechanical property and impact resistance. Increasing Al content could increase the density, strength and toughness of the composite. Due to exorbitant ceramic content, 10 wt.% and 20 wt.% Al-Ti-B₄C composites exhibited poor molding ability and machinability. Flexural strength, fracture toughness, compressive strength and impact toughness of 30–50 wt.% Al-Ti-B₄C composite were higher than those of Al matrix. The intergranular fracture dispersed and defused impact load and restricted crack extension, enhancing the impact resistance of the composite. The composite with 50 wt.% Al content owned highest mechanical properties and impact resistance. The results were useful for the application of TiC-TiB₂/Al composite in impact resistance field of ceramic reinforced Al matrix composite.