Microstructure and depositional mechanism of Ni-P coatings with nano-ceria particles by pulse electrodeposition

Nano-CeO2 （RE） particles were co-deposited into Ni-P binary composite coatings by applying pulse current （PC） under ultrasonic （U） field. Morphology, chemical content and crystal microstructure were characterized by environmental scanning electron microscopy （E-SEM） with energy dispersive X-ray analysis （EDXA）, XRD diffractometry and transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. Experimental results show that Ni-P coating reinforced with 15g/L nano-CeO2, in amorphous state and with compact structure, can be improved in the microhardness from HV0.2580 to HV0.2780 by annealing at 600 °C for 2 h. The highest content of codeposited Ce and deposition rate can reach 2.3% and 68 μm/h, respectively. Furthermore, the effect of RE adsorption and pulse overpotential on depositional mechanism was investigated. n-CeO2 particles or Ce4＋ ions with strong adsorption capacity acted as the catalytic nucleus to improve densification effectively. During annealing at 600 °C for 2 h, n-CeO2 particles will uniformly adsorb on crystal grain to preferentially pad and heal up gaps of cracking Ni boundaries, promoting dispersion strengthening with refiner-grained structure.

Mechanical assisted electroless barrel-plating Ni-P coatings on magnesium alloy

A mechanically assisted electroless barrel-plating Ni-P was carried out in a rolling drum containing Mg alloy specimens and ceramic balls, which was submerged in a bath containing electroless plating solution deposited by this novel technique have a It is demonstrated that the Ni-P coatings crystallized Ni-P solid solution structure, showing fine-grains, higher hardness, and higher corrosion resistance compared with the conventional electroless plated amorphous Ni-P coatings. After heat treatment at 400 ℃ for 1 h, the structure of such Ni-P coatings were transformed to a structure with Ni-Ni3P double phases, and cracks in these coatings could not be observed, whereas cracks appeared seriously in the conventional electroless plated Ni-P coating after same heat treatment. Therefore, both hardness and corrosion resistance of these Ni-P coatings can be improved further by heat treatment. All of these beneficial effects can be attributed to the role of mechanical attrition during the mechanically assisted electroless barrel-plating process.

Wear and Corrosion Resistance of Electroless Plating Ni-P Coating on P110 Steel

In order to improve the surface performance and increase the lifetime of P 110 oil casing tube steel during operation, electroless plating was conducted to form Ni-P coating onto its surface. The surface morphology/element distribution and phase constitution of the Ni-P coating were analyzed using scanning electron microscope （SEM） equipped with energy dispersive spectrometry （EDS） and X-ray diffraction （XRD）. Tribological and electrochemical measurement tests were applied to investigate the wear and corrosion resistance of P110 steel and the Ni-P coating. The results showed that a uniform and compact, high phosphorous Ni-P coating was formed. The obtained Ni-P coating indicated certain friction-reduction effect and lower mass loss during friction-wear tests. The Ni-P coating also exhibited higher corrosion resistance in comparison with bared P 110 steel. The obtained N i-P coating has significantly improved the surface performance of P110 steel.

Effect of hydrogen on the friction and wear of Ni-P coatings

The effects of charging and outgassing on the friction and wear of Ni-P amorphous and nanocrystalline coatings were studied under ambient humidity and temperature.The results indicate that hydrogen charging can greatly decrease the volume loss during friction and increase the wear durability.However,the wear durability can be restored after outgassing.There are many cracks on the brittle nanocrystalline before charging,and no crack appears after charging,but there are only a few cracks on the outgassed sample.This indicates that hydrogen charging can inhibit the crack formation during friction for the brittle Ni-P nanocrystalline.For the charged sample,after the surface layer was removed by polishing,the wear track and the friction coefficient are consistent with those of an uncharged sample.The friction coefficient of the charged amorphous coating is very small within the first 140 s and then increases suddenly to the value corresponding to the uncharged sample.The absorbed surface layer lubricates the surface,reduces the friction coefficient,and improves the wear durability.

Investigation on a Non-cyanide Plating Process of Ni-P Coating on Magnesium Alloy AZ91D

In this research we presented a non-cyanide plating process of Ni-P alloy coating on Mg alloy AZ91D. By applying a new process flow of electroless nickel plating in which zinc coating is used as transition of Ni-P coating on Mg alloy AZ91D, the process of copper transition coating plated in the cyanides bath can be replaced. A new bath composed of NiSO4 was established by orthogonal test. The results show that zinc transition coating can increase the adhesion and protect the Mg alloy substrate from the bath corrosion. The optimal plating bath composition is NiSO4·6H2O 20 g/L, NaH2PO2·H2O20g/L and C6H8O7·H2O 2.5 g/L, and optimal bath acidity and optimal plating temperature are pH 4.0 and 95℃, respectively. The present process flow is composed of ultrasonic cleaning→alkaline cleaning→acid pickling→activation→double immersing zinc→electroplating zinc→electroless nickel plating→passivation treatment. The present non-cyanide process of electroless nickel plating is harmless to our surroundings and Ni-P coating on Mg alloy AZ91D produced by present process possesses good adhesion and corrosion resistance.

Effects of zincate treatment on adhesion of electroless Ni-P coating onto various aluminum alloys

The effects of alloying elements on zincate treatment and adhesion of electroless Ni-P coating onto various aluminum alloy substrates were examined.Surface morphology of zinc deposits in the 1st zincate treatment and its adhesion were changed depending on the alloying element.The zinc deposits in the 2nd zincate treatment became thinly uniform,and the adhesion between aluminum alloy substrate and Ni-P coating was improved irrespective of the alloying element.XPS analysis revealed the existence of zinc on the surface of each aluminum alloy substrate after the pickling in 5% nitric acid.This zinc on the surface should be an important factor influencing the morphology of zinc deposit at the 2nd zincate treatment and its adhesion.

Preparation and property evaluation of electroless Ni-P coatings on AZ91D magnesium alloy

Taking a bath with basic nickel carbonate as the source of nickel,sodium hypophosphite as the reducing agent and citric acid as the complexing agent,the Ni-P coatings on AZ91D magnesium alloy were prepared. The influence of pH value of the bath on the content of phosphorus,microhardness and corrosion resistance of the deposits was examined. The XRD analysis results show that the Ni-P coatings plated under all conditions have a mixed microstructure of amorphous and nanocrystalline and undergo a phase transformation to crystalline nickel and nickel phosphide upon heat-treatment. The microhardness of the Ni-P coatings increases with the increase of pH value of the bath and has a maximum at pH=6. The potentiodynamic polarization test in 3.5%(mass fraction) NaCl solution reveals that the Ni-P coatings exhibit a very good corrosion resistance to protecting AZ91D magnesium alloy.

Superhydrophobic and corrosion-resistant siloxane-modified MgAl-LDHs coatings on magnesium alloy prepared under mild conditions

We have developed a superhydrophobic and corrosion-resistant LDH-W/PFDTMS composite coating on the surface of Mg alloy.This composite comprised a tungstate-intercalated(LDH-W)underlayer that was grown at low temperature(relative to hydrothermal reaction conditions)under atmospheric pressure and an outer polysiloxane layer created from a solution containing perfluorodecyltrimethoxysilane(PFDTMS)using a simple immersion method.The successful intercalation of tungstate into the LDH phase and the following formation of the polysiloxane layer were confirmed through X-ray diffraction(XRD),Fourier transform infrared(FTIR)spectroscopy,and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS).The corrosion resistance of the LDH-W film,both before and after the PFDTMS modification,was evaluated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS),Tafel curves,and immersion experiments.The results showed that Mg coated with LDH-W/PFDTMS exhibited significantly enhanced corrosion protection compared to the unmodified LDHW film,with no apparent signs of corrosion after exposure to 3.5wt%NaCl solution for 15 d.Furthermore,the LDH-W/PFDTMS coating demonstrated superior superhydrophobicity and self-cleaning properties against water and several common beverages,as confirmed by static contact angle and water-repellency tests.These results offer valuable insights into preparing superhydrophobic and corrosion-resistant LDH-based composite coatings on Mg alloy surfaces under relatively mild reaction conditions.

Assessing the corrosion protection property of coatings loaded with corrosion inhibitors using the real-time atmospheric corrosion monitoring technique

The atmospheric corrosion monitoring(ACM)technique has been widely employed to track the real-time corrosion behavior of metal materials.However,limited studies have applied ACM to the corrosion protection properties of organic coatings.This study compared a bare epoxy coating with one containing zinc phosphate corrosion inhibitors,both applied on ACM sensors,to observe their corrosion protection properties over time.Coatings with artificial damage via scratches were exposed to immersion and alternating dry and wet environments,which allowed for monitoring galvanic corrosion currents in real-time.Throughout the corrosion tests,the ACM currents of the zinc phosphate/epoxy coating were considerably lower than those of the blank epoxy coating.The trend in ACM current variations closely matched the results obtained from regular electrochemical tests and surface analysis.This alignment highlights the potential of the ACM technique in evaluating the corrosion protection capabilities of organic coatings.Compared with the blank epoxy coating,the zinc phosphate/epoxy coating showed much-decreased ACM current values that confirmed the effective inhibition of zinc phosphate against steel corrosion beneath the damaged coating.

Preparation and tribological performances of Ni-P-multi-walled carbon nanotubes composite coatings

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes （MWNTs） were wet-milled in the presence of ammonia and cationic surfactant and then used as reinforcements to prepare Ni-P-MWNTs composite coatings by electroless plating. The tribological performances of the composite coatings under dry condition were investigated in comparison with 45 steel and conventional Ni-P coating, Micrographs show that short MWNTs with uniform length and open tips were obtained through the wet-milling process. The results of wear test reveal that the Ni-P-MWNTs composite coatings posses much better friction reduction and anti-wear performances when compared with 45 steel and Ni-P coating. Within the MWNTs content range of 0.74%-1.97%, the friction coefficient and the volume wear rate of the composite coatings decrease gradually and reach the minimum values of 0.08 and 6.22x10-15 m3/（N.m）, respectively. The excellent tribological performances of the composite coatings can be attributed to the introduction of MWNTs, which play both roles of reinforcements and solid lubricant during the wear process.

Effect of wear conditions on tribological properties of electrolessly-deposited Ni-P-Gr-SiC hybrid composite coating

The friction and wear properties of the electrolessly-deposited Ni-P-Gr-SiC composites were investigated. The effects of graphite content, load and rotation speed on the friction coefficient and wear resistance of the composite coatings were mainly investigated. The worn surface and cross section of the coatings were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. The results show that the composite coatings reveal good antifriction and wear resistance due to the synergic effect of graphite and SiC particles. The formation of graphite-rich mechanically mixed layer （GRMML） on the surface of Ni-P-Gr-SiC coating contributes to the good tribological behavior of the wear counterparts and SiC particles play a load bearing role in protecting GRMML from shearing easily.

Synergistic effect of nitrocellulose coating on structural and reactivity stabilization of ammonium nitrate oxidizer

The present work aims to stabilize the room temperature allotropic transition of ammonium nitrate(AN)particles utilizing a microencapsulation technique,which involves solvent/non-solvent in which nitrocellulose(NC)has been employed as a coating agent.The SEM micrographs revealed distinct features of both pure AN and NC,contrasting with the irregular granular surface topography of the coated AN particles,demonstrating the adherence of NC on the AN surface.Structural analysis via infrared spectroscopy(IR)demonstrated a successful association of AN and NC,with slight shifts observed in IR bands indicating interfacial interactions.Powder X-ray Diffraction(PXRD)analysis further elucidated the structural changes induced by the coating process,revealing that the NC coating altered the crystallization pattern of its pure form.Thermal analysis demonstrates distinct profiles for pure and coated AN,for which the coated sample exhibits a temperature increase and an enthalpy decrease of the room temperature allotropic transition by 6℃,and 36%,respectively.Furthermore,the presence of NC coating alters the intermolecular forces within the composite system,leading to a reduction in melting enthalpy of coated AN by~39%compared to pure AN.The thermal decomposition analysis shows a two-step thermolysis process for coated AN,with a significant increase in the released heat by about 78%accompanied by an increase in the activation barrier of NC and AN thermolysis,demonstrating a stabilized reactivity of the AN-NC particles.These findings highlight the synergistic effect of NC coating on AN particles,which contributed to a structural and reactive stabilization of both AN and NC,proving the potential application of NC-coated AN as a strategically advantageous oxidizer in composite solid propellant formulations.

Mechanically Assisted Electroless Barrel-plating Ni-P Coatings Deposited on Carbon Steel

A mechanically assisted electroless （MAE） barrel-plating technique has been developed to deposit Ni-P coatings on carbon steel.The mechanical treatment was carried out in a rolling drum containing carbon steel specimens and glass balls of 2-3 mm diameter,which was submerged in a bath containing electroless plating solution.The coatings are Ni-polycrystalline and have a fine grained structure and smooth surfaces.The hardness and corrosion resistance of the novel coatings are considerably improved compared with the conventional electroless （CE）-plated Ni-P coatings,which are amorphous.After heat treatment at 400 C for one hour,cracks and pores are observed in the CE-plated Ni-P coating,while no cracks appear in the MAE barrel-plated Ni-P coating.The improved properties of the MAE barrel-plated Ni-P coatings demonstrate the advantages of this novel technique,wide applications of which will be found in industries.

Characteristics of microstructure and performance of laser-treated electroless Ni-P/Ni-W-P duplex coatings

Characteristics of microstructures of electroless Ni-P/Ni-W-P duplex coatings were investigated using SEM/EDX and XRD analysis techniques. Microhardness and wear behaviour of the coatings before and after laser crystallization were evaluated by measurements of hardnesses of coating surface and cross-section, and by unlubricated friction and wear experiments. The results indicate that it is possible to prepare electroless Ni-P/Ni-W-P duplex coatings by sequential immersion in two different plating baths. After laser crystallization, the microstructures of electroless Ni-P/Ni-W-P duplex coatings present the characteristics of higher degree of crystallization and larger grain size for outer layer Ni-W-P than inner Ni-P, but outer layer has a higher hardness. The wear resistance of laser-treated duplex coatings in a given process parameter conditions is superior to the as-plated ones. Laser treatment was performed directly in air without argon protection, which provides the possibility for application of industrialized production.

Electrodeposition and corrosion resistance of Ni-P-TiN composite coating on AZ91D magnesium alloy

In order to improve the corrosion resistance and microhardness of AZ91D magnesium alloy, TiN nanoparticles were addedto fabricate Ni-P-TiN composite coating by electrodeposition. The surface, cross-section morphology and composition wereexamined using SEM, EDS and XRD, and the corrosion resistance was checked by electrochemical technology. The results indicatethat TiN nanoparticles were doped successfully in the Ni-P matrix after a series of complex pretreatments including activation, zincimmersion and pre-electroplating, which enhances the stability of magnesium alloy in electrolyte and the adhesion betweenmagnesium alloy and composite coating. The microhardness of the Ni-P coating increases dramatically by adding TiN nanoparticlesand subsequent heat treatment. The corrosion experimental results indicate that the corrosion resistance of Ni-P-TiN compositecoating is much higher than that of uncoated AZ91D magnesium alloy and similar with Ni-P coating in short immersion time.However, TiN nanoparticles play a significant role in long-term corrosion resistance of composite coatings.

On the formation of the interlayer between Ni-P coating and AZ33magnesium alloy substrate by means of in situ SEM observation

Pre-treatment process is the key step for electroless plating. Once a suitable pre-treatment film is in place, the desired metals can be plated. In this paper, Ni-P coating was successfully prepared on AZ33 magnesium alloy with Mg（OH）2 pre-treatment film by electroless plating. To investigate the role of MgF2 in Ni-P coating, the deposition procedures between Mg（OH）2 pre-treatment film and Mg（OH）2-MgF2 pre-treatment film （a traditional process） were compared. The surface morphology variations of coatings were observed with scanning electron microscopy and the compositions were analyzed by energy dispersive spectrometry. The results showed that during the plating, both MgF2 and Ni-P deposited at the initial stage, and MgF2 distributed in the bottom of the coating, forming a transitional interlayer with Ni- P. According to the heat quench test, a poor adhesion of the coating mainly occurred between the MgF2 and Ni-P coating.

High corrosion and wear resistant electroless Ni–P gradient coatings on aviation aluminum alloy parts

A Ni–P alloy gradient coating consisting of multiple electroless Ni–P layers with various phosphorus contents was prepared on the aviation aluminum alloy. Several characterization and electrochemical techniques were used to characterize the different Ni–P coatings’ morphologies, phase structures, elemental compositions, and corrosion protection. The gradient coating showed good adhesion and high corrosion and wear resistance, enabling the application of aluminum alloy in harsh environments. The results showed that the double zinc immersion was vital in obtaining excellent adhesion (81.2 N). The optimal coating was not peeled and shredded even after bending tests with angles higher than 90°and was not corroded visually after 500 h of neutral salt spray test at 35℃. The high corrosion resistance was attributed to the misaligning of these micro defects in the three different nickel alloy layers and the amorphous structure of the high P content in the outer layer. These findings guide the exploration of functional gradient coatings that meet the high application requirement of aluminum alloy parts in complicated and harsh aviation environments.

Well-oriented magnesium hydroxide nanoplatelets coating with high corrosion resistance and osteogenesis on magnesium alloy

Magnesium alloys are nontoxic and promising as orthopedic metallic implants,but preparing a biocompatible Mg(OH)_(2)layer with high corrosion protection ability remains challenging.It is generally believed that the Mg(OH)_(2)layer,especially that formed in a natural condition,cannot provide desirable corrosion resistance in the community of corrosion and protection.Here,several Mg(OH)_(2)coatings were prepared by changing the pH values of sodium hydroxide solutions.These coatings were composed of innumerable nanoplatelets with different orientations and showed distinguished capability in corrosion resistance.The nanoplatelets were well-oriented with their ab-planes parallel to,instead of perpendicular to,the magnesium alloy surface by raising the pH value to 14.0.This specific orientation resulted in the optimal coating showing long-term corrosion protection in both in vitro and in vivo environments and good osteogenic capability.These finds manifest that the environment-friendly Mg(OH)_(2)coating can also provide comparable and better corrosion protection than many traditional chemical conversion films(such as phosphate,and fluoride).

High-temperature tribological properties of Ni-P alloy coatings deposited by electro-brush plating

High-temperature tribological properties of Ni-P alloy coatings processed by electro-brush plating on 20CrMo steel have been investigated. A baU-on-disc configuration was employed and 4 mm diameter Si3N4 balls were used as static counterpart. All the wear tests were carried out at 450℃ for 180 rain without lubricants. The electro-brush plating Ni-P coating is amorphous in as-deposited condition, and it becomes polycrystalline with the formation of Ni and Ni3P after heat treatment at 450℃for 1 h. The friction coefficient of the Ni-P coating is just 50% of that of the 20CrMo steel at the friction temperature of 450℃. A mild adhesive wear mechanism was found for the electro-brush plating Ni-P coating tested at 450℃, whereas for the 20CrMo steel at the same temperature a mixed adhesive and abrasive wear mechanism was observed.

Significantly Improved High-Temperature Energy Storage Performance of BOPP Films by Coating Nanoscale Inorganic Layer

Biaxially oriented polypropylene(BOPP)is one of the most commonly used commercial capacitor films,but its upper operating temperature is below 105℃due to the sharply increased electrical conduction loss at high temperature.In this study,growing an inorganic nanoscale coating layer onto the BOPP film's surface is proposed to suppress electrical conduction loss at high temperature,as well as increase its upper operating temperature.Four kinds of inorganic coating layers that have different energy band structure and dielectric property are grown onto the both surface of BOPP films,respectively.The effect of inorganic coating layer on the high-temperature energy storage performance has been systematically investigated.The favorable coating layer materials and appropriate thickness enable the BOPP films to have a significant improvement in high-temperature energy storage performance.Specifically,when the aluminum nitride(AIN)acts as a coating layer,the AIN-BOPP-AIN sandwich-structured films possess a discharged energy density of 1.5 J cm^(-3)with an efficiency of 90%at 125℃,accompanying an outstandingly cyclic property.Both the discharged energy density and operation temperature are significantly enhanced,indicating that this efficient and facile method provides an important reference to improve the high-temperature energy storage performance of polymer-based dielectric films.