Formation mechanism of electroless plating nickel-based composite coating on highly active rare earth magnesium alloys and its corrosion resistance and adhesion performance

The process of preparing anodic oxide film containing active sites and electroless nickel plating on highly active rare earth magnesium alloy was developed.The formation mechanism of electroless nickel plating on active anodic oxide film and the structure and properties of the composite coating were studied by several surface and electrochemical techniques.The results showed that Ag nanograins with an average size of 10 nm were embedded into the anodic oxide film with pores of 0.1−2μm.Ag nanoparticles provided a catalytic site for the deposition of Ni-B alloy,and the Ni crystal nucleus was first grown in horizontal mode and then in cylindrical mode.The corrosion potential of the composite coating increased by 1.37 V and the corrosion current reduced two orders of magnitude due to the subsequent deposition of Ni-P alloy.The high corrosion resistance was attributed to the misaligning of these micro defects in the three different layers and the amorphous structure of the Ni-P alloy in the outer layer.These findings provide a new idea for electroless nickel plating on anodic oxide film.

Electroless Ni-P plating on Mg-Li alloy by two-step method

Pretreated Mg-Li alloy sheets were pre-plated in a NiCO3？2Ni（OH）2？4H2O solution to form a thin Ni-P alloy film and then plating in a NiSO4？6H2O solution was carried out to obtain a protective coating.The surface morphology,structure and corrosion resistance of the coating were studied.The results showed that a flat,bright and compact plating layer,which was integrated into the matrix metal,was obtained.The P content of the Ni-P coating reached 13.56%（mass fraction）.The hardness value of the Ni-P coating was about HV 549.The polarization curve showed that the corrosion potential of the Ni-P coating reached ？0.249 V（vs SCE）.A long passivation region was found on the polarization curve,and this phenomenon indicated that the coating has an excellent anti-corrosion property.

Structure and effects of electroless Ni-Sn-P transition layer during acid electroless plating on magnesium alloys

An electroless ternary Ni-Sn-P transition layer with high corrosion resistance was applied for acid electroless nickel plating on magnesium alloys. The surface morphologies and microstructure of the traditional alkaline electroless Ni-P and novel Ni-Sn-P transition layers were compared by SEM and XRD, and the bonding strengths between the transition layers and AZ31 magnesium alloys were tested. The corrosion resistance of the samples was analyzed by porosity test, potentiodynamic polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy（EIS） in acid electroless solution at p H 4.5 and immersion test in 10% HCl. The results indicate that the transition layer is essential for acid electroless plating Ni-P coatings on magnesium alloys. Under the same thin thickness（-6 μm）, the electroless Ni-Sn-P transition layer possesses superior properties to the traditional Ni-P transition layer, including high amorphization, smooth and dense surface without pores, enhanced bonding strength and corrosion resistance. Most importantly, acid electroless Ni-P coatings can be successfully deposited on magnesium alloys by using Ni-Sn-P transition layer.

Electroless plating and growth kinetics of Ni-P alloy film on SiC_p/Al composite with high SiC volume fraction

After Sn/Pd activating, the SiCp/Al composite with 65% SiC (volume fraction) was coated by electroless Ni?P alloy plating. Surface morphology of the composite and its effect on the Ni?P alloy depositing process and bonding action of Ni and P atoms in the Ni?P alloy were studied. The results show that inhomogeneous distribution of the Sn/Pd activating points results in preferential deposition of the Ni?P alloy particles on the Al alloy and rough SiC particle surfaces and in the etched caves. The Ni?P alloy film has an amorphous structure where chemical bonding between Ni and P atoms exists. After a continuous Ni?P alloy film formed, electroless Ni?P alloy plating is not affected by surface morphology and characteristics of the SiCp/Al composite any longer, but by the electroless plating process itself. The Ni?P alloy film follows linear growth kinetics with an activation energy of 68.44 kJ/mol.

Homogenization pretreatment and electroless Ni-P plating on AZ91D magnesium alloy

Electroless nickel plating on AZ91D substrate with a new and eco-friendly pretreatment process based on tuning an electrochemical homogeneous surface was investigated. The morphology, deposition process, chemical composition and microstructure of Ni-P coating were studied. It is indicated that β phases are selectively removed, producing a microstructural homogeneous surface and the subsequent uniform and compact Zn immersion layer. A defect-free and well adhesive Ni-P coating can be successfully obtained due to its uniform nucleation and growth based on such pretreatment. Potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy （EIS） tests reveal that Ni-P coating could significantly improve the corrosion resistance of AZ91D substrate.

Preparation of electromagnetic shielding wood-metal composite by electroless nickel plating

Electrical and electromagnetic shielding wood metal composite was prepared by using electroless nickel plating. The effects of solution amount, plating time and plating temperature on surface resistivity and electromagnetic shielding effectiveness were investigated. And P content, microstructure and surface feature of layers obtained at different temperatures were analyzed by energy dispersion spectrometer （EDS）, X-ray diffraction （XRI）） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. The results showed that layers with higher electro-conductivity and electromagnetic shielding effectiveness were obtained under the optimum conditions that plating solution was 500 mL, plating time was 30 min and plating temperature was 62℃. The results showed by EDS analysis; that P content increased gradually in a small extent with plating temperature increased. It was showed by XRD and SEM analysis that layers plated at different temperatures were all microcrystalline structure and uniform and successive, which had noticeable metal luster. Those indicated that plating temperature had little influence on microstructure and surface feature under pH value invariable.

Copper-Ti_3SiC_2 composite powder prepared by electroless plating under ultrasonic environment

In this article, a new type of Cu-Ti3SiC2 composite powder prepared using the electroless plating technique was introduced. The initial Ti3SiC2 particles are 11 μm in diameter on an average. The Cu plating was carried out at middle temperature （62-65℃） with the application of ultrasonic agitation. The copper deposition rate was determined by measuring the weight gain of the powder after plating. It has been found that the pretreatment of Ti3SiC2 powder is very important to obtain copper nanoparticles on the surface of Ti3SiC2 The optimum procedure before plating aimed to add activated sites and the adjustment of the traditional composition of the electroless copper plating bath could decelerate the copper deposition rate to 0.8 gm/h. X-ray diffraction （XRD） indicates that the chemical composition of the plating layer is copper. SEM images show that the surface of the Ti3SiC2 particles is successfully coated with continuous copper layer. The wetting property between the copper matrix and Ti3SiC2 can be improved so as to increase the interfacial strength.

Photocatalytic H2 generation via CoP quantum-dot-modified g-C3N4 synthesized by electroless plating

Photocatalytic water splitting is a promising method for hydrogen production.Numerous efficient photocatalysts have been synthesized and utilized.However,photocatalysts without a noble metal as the co-catalyst have been rarely reported.Herein,a CoP co-catalyst-modified graphitic-C3N4(g-C3N4/CoP)is investigated for photocatalytic water splitting to produce H2.The g-C3N4/CoP composite is synthesized in two steps.The first step is related to thermal decomposition,and the second step involves an electroless plating technique.The photocatalytic activity for hydrogen evolution reactions of g-C3N4 is distinctly increased by loading the appropriate amount of CoP quantum dots(QDs).Among the as-synthesized samples,the optimized one(g-C3N4/CoP-4%)shows exceptional photocatalytic activity as compared with pristine g-C3N4,generating H2 at a rate of 936μmol g^-1 h^-1,even higher than that of g-C3N4 with 4 wt%Pt(665μmol g^-1 h^-1).The UV-visible and optical absorption behavior confirms that g-C3N4 has an absorption edge at 451 nm,but after being composited with CoP,g-C3N4/CoP-4%has an absorption edge at 497 nm.Furthermore,photoluminescence and photocurrent measurements confirm that loading CoP QDs to pristine g-C3N4 not only enhances the charge separation,but also improves the transfer of photogenerated e--h+pairs,thus improving the photocatalytic performance of the catalyst to generate H2.This work demonstrates a feasible strategy for the synthesis of highly efficient metal phosphide-loaded g-C3N4 for hydrogen generation.

The study of electroless Ni-W-P alloy plating on glass fibers

Ni-W-P coatings were deposited on the surface of glass fibers by the electroless plating process. The bath was very stable through the palladium salt test. There was no phenomenon of peeling and blistering on the surface of the Ni-W-P alloy glass fibers in the thermal shock test. It showed that the deposit had high impact strength and good adhesion. The morphology of the coatings was observed by scanning electron microscope （SEM）. The elements and their contents were tested and analyzed by energy dispersion spectrometer （EDS）. The tungsten content reached up to 12.1 wt.%. The effects of the concentrations of NiSO4, Na2WO4, and NaH2PO2.H20 on the conductivity of the coatings were studied. The resistivity of the Ni-W-P alloy glass fibers reached 7.39 × 10^-3 Ωcm. The alloy coatings on glass fibers were analyzed by XRD. The results indicated that the deposit had an amorphous structure and good heat stability. The suitable work temperature range was lower than 190℃. Finally, the electromagnetic parameters of the Ni-W-P alloy glass fibers were tested and analyzed primarily. The magnetic loss reached 0.04023 and the dielectric loss reached -5.80239. The plated alloy is a kind of soft magnetic material.

Study of Electroless Ni-P-CNTs Composite Plating

The electroless Ni-P-carbon nanotubes composite plating was studied on the copper substrate. Metallurgical microscope, scanning electronic microscope, X-ray diffractometer and micro hardness tester were used to study the structure, constitution and performance of the electroless Ni-P-carbon nanotubes composite deposit. Experiential results show that, with the increment of carbon nanotubes content in electroless plating solution, the grain size on the sample surface decreases whereas the density of grains and the hardness for composite deposit increases. Moreover, adding carbon nanotubes not only improves the degree of crystallization for the composite deposit but also helps their transformation from the amorphous state to the nanocrystal state.

Influence of pH values on electroless Ni-P-SiC plating on AZ91D magnesium alloy

A novel Ni-P-SiC composite coating was prepared by electroless plating in order to improve the corrosion capacity and wear resistance of AZ91D magnesium alloy.The influence of pH values on deposition rates and properties of the coatings was studied.The microstructure and phase structure of the Ni-P-SiC coatings were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy(SEM)and X-ray diffractometry(XRD).The corrosion and wear resistance performances of the coatings were also investigated through electrochemical technique and pin-on-disk tribometer,respectively.The results indicate that the composite coating is composed of Ni, P and SiC.It exhibits an amorphous structure and good adhesion to the substrate.The coatings have higher open circuit potential than that of the substrate.The composite coating obtained at pH value of 5.2 possesses optimal integrated properties,which shows similar corrosion resistance and ascendant wear resistance properties to the substrate.

Study on Physical and Chemical Behaviors of Rare Earths in Preparing Ceramic Tube Supported Palladium Film by Electroless Plating

The rare earths of ytterbium, lanthanum, praseodymium, neodymium and their binary mixtures were respectively added into the traditional electroless plating solution to prepare thin palladium film on the inner surface of porous ceramic tube. The experimental results shows that the addition of rare earths increases palladium deposition rates and the binary mixtures are superior to the single rare earths and the mixture of ytterbium-lanthanum is the most efficient. Adding the mixture of ytterbium-lanthanum can also reduce the plating temperature by 10 ~ 20℃, shrink the metal crystal size and improve the film densification compared to those by traditional electroless plating. A thin palladium film with 5μm was prepared and the film made a highly pure hydrogen with a molar fraction of more than 99.97% from a H2-N2 gas mixture. More attentions were paid to analyze the physical and chemical behaviors of the rare earths in palladium film preparation.

Effect of Heat Treatment on Structure and Magnetic Performance of Ni-Fe-P Alloy Obtained by Electroless Plating

The electroless deposition of Ni68-Fe10.5-P21.5 alloy has been investigated. The crystallization behavior of the deposit was comparatively studied by using differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffractometry. The deposit transforms into a square Ni3P phase at 380. 0 ℃, then changes into a cubic FeNi3 phase at 490. 0 ℃. The microhardness, the size of the formed grains and the magnetic performance of the deposit increase with the increase of the heat treatment temperature below 500 ℃, then they decrease after this temperature. The effect of heat treatment time at 500 ℃ on the surface micromorphology, the structure and the magnetic performance of the deposit were also studied. The resuits show that with the increase of heat treatment time, the extent of crystallization of the deposit increases and the size of the formed grains becomes uniform. The results also show that the magnetic performance of the deposit under heat treatment for 40 min is maximal and then decreases with the increase of heat treatment time. The property change of the deposit is related to the crystal structure and the size of the formed grains of the deposit.

Microstructure and electrical conductivity of electroless copper plating layer on magnesium alloy micro-arc oxidation coating

In order to impart electrical conductivity to the magnesium alloy micro-arc oxidation(MAO)coating,the electroless copper plating was performed.Effects of plating temperature and complexing agent concentration on the properties of the electroless copper plating layers were studied by measuring their microstructure,corrosion resistance and electrical conductivity.It was found that the optimized plating temperature was 60°C,and the most suitable value of the complexing agent concentration was 30 g/L.Under this condition,a complete and dense plating layer could be obtained.The formation mechanism of the plating layer on magnesium alloy MAO coating was analyzed.A three-stage model of the plating process was proposed.The square resistance of the plated specimen was finally reduced to 0.03Ω/□after the third stage.Through electroless copper plating,the MAO coated sample obtained excellent electrical conductivity without significantly reducing its corrosion resistance.

Progress of electroplating and electroless plating on magnesium alloy

The current research processes of electroplating and electroless Ni-P alloy plating on magnesium alloys were reviewed. Theoretically,the reason for difficulties in electroplating and electroless plating on magnesium alloys was given.The zinc immersion, copper immersion,direct electroless Ni-P alloy plating and electroplating and electroless plating on magnesium alloys prepared by chemical conversion coating were presented in detail.Especially,the research development of magnesium alloy AZ91 and AZ31 was discussed briefly.Based on the analysis,the existing problems and future research directions were then given.

Electroless Nickel Plating and Electroplating on FBG Temperature Sensor

Metal-coated fiber Bragg grating（FBG）temperature sensors were prepared via electroless nickel（EN）plating and tin electroplating methods on the surface of normal bare FBG.The surface morphologies of the metal-coated layers were observed under a metallographic microscope.The effects of pretreatment sequence,pH value of EN plating solution and current density of electroplating on the performance of the metal-coated layers were analyzed.Meanwhile, the Bragg wavelength shift induced by temperature was monitored by an optical spectrum analyzer.Sensitivity of the metal-coated FBG（MFBG）sensor was almost two times that of normal bare FBG sensor.The measuring temperature of the MFBG sensor could be up to 280℃,which was much better than that of conventional FBG sensor.

Preparation and characterization of molybdenum powders with copper coating by the electroless plating technique

Molybdenum powders with a diameter of approximately 3 μn were coated with copper using the electroless plating technique in the pH 12.5-13 and temperature range of 55-75℃. The optimization of the electroless copper bath was evaluated through the combination of process parameters like pH and temperature. The optimized values ofpH and temperature were found to be 12.5 and 60℃, respectively, which attributes to the bright maroon color of the coating with an increase in weight of 46%. The uncoated and coated powders were subjected to microstructural studies using scanning electron microscope （SEM） and the phases were analyzed using X-my diffrction （XRD）. An attempt was made to understand the growth mechanism of the coating. The diffusion-shrinkage autocatalytic model was suggested for copper growth on the molybdenum surface.

Fabrication and thermal stability of Ni-P coated diamond powder using electroless plating

Ni-P coated diamond powder was fabricated successfully by using electroless plating.Effects of active solutions,plating time,reaction temperature,and the components of the plating bath on the Ni-P coating were investigated systematically.Moreover,a study on the thermal stability of Ni-P coated diamond under various atmospheres was performed.The results indicate that Pd atoms absorbed on the diamond surface as active sites can consequently enhance the deposition rate of Ni effectively.The optimized plating bath and reaction conditions improve both the plating speed and the coverage rate of Ni-P electroless plating on the diamond surface.Compared to the diamond substrate,the diamond coated with Ni-P films exhibits very high thermal stability and can be processed up to 900°C in air and 1300°C in protective atmosphere such as H2.

Scaling and Removal of Calcium. Carbonate on Electroless Plating Surface

The scaling process of calcium carbonate on a low-energy heat transfer surface－electroless plating surface was investigated in a simulated cooling water system. Owing to the very low surface energy, the electroless plating surface exhibited less scaling susceptibility. A longer induction period and a lower scaling rate were obtained on the low-energy surface compared to copper surface under identical conditions. The calcite particles obtained on the electroless plating surface during the induction period were larger in size than those on copper surface because fewer crystals formed and grew at the same time on the low-energy surface. With increasing surface temperature, the induction period reduced and the scaling rate increased for the low-energy surface. When initial surface temperature was fixed, an increase in fluid velocity would reduce the induction period and increase the scaling rate due to the diffusion effect. However, when the heat flux was fixed, an increase in fluid velocity would decrease the surfacetemperature, and lead to a longer induction period and a lower scaling rate. The removal experiments of calcium carbonate scale indicated that during post induction period, the detachment was not obvious, while during the induction period, apparent removal of crystal particles was obtained on the electroless plating surface owing to the weak adhesion force. The more frequently the transient high hydrodynamic force acted, the more the detached crystal particles were.

Electroless copper plating on microcellular polyurethane foam

In order to obtain substrates with good conductive foam for high porosity foam metal materials used in the metal electrodes,the technique of electroless copper plating on the microcellular polyurethane foam with pore size of 0.3 mm was investigated.The main factors affecting the deposition rate such as the solution composition,temperature,pH value and adding ultrasonic were explored.The results show that the optimum process conditions are CuSO4 16 g/L,HCHO 5 mL/L,NaKC4H4O6 30 g/L,Na2EDTA 20 g/L,K4Fe(CN)6 25 mg/L,pH value of 12.5-13.0 and temperature of 40-50℃.Under these technical conditions, the process has excellent bath stability.Adding ultrasonic on the process can elevate the deposition rate of copper by 20%-30%.The foam metal material with a porosity of 92.2%and a three-dimensional network structure,was fabricated by electro-deposition after the electroless copper plating.