XPS Studies on Electroless As-Deposited and Annealed Ni-P Films

Electroless deposition has been used to deposit Ni-P films on glass slides using the reducing agent sodium hypophosphite. This has been done with a purpose to use Ni-P films as back contact for silicon carbide radiation detectors. By keeping deposition time, temperature, pH and concentration of the precursor solution constant, the film deposition has been done. XPS studies were done to analyze the composition and stoichiometry of Ni-P thin films.

Preparation and characterization of bimetallic Pt^Ni-P/CNT catalysts via galvanic displacement reaction on electrolessly-plated Ni-P/CNT

Platinum-based bimetallic catalysts have broad applications in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells and water splitting. In this work,galvanic displacement reaction was employed to prepare Pt^Ni-P/CNT catalysts using electrolessly-plated Ni-P/CNT. These catalysts were extensively characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Catalytic activities towards methanol oxidation and hydrogen evolution reactions were evaluated and benchmarked with a commercial Pt/C catalyst. Uniform dispersion of Pt on Ni-P particles led to high Pt utilization, and the electrochemical surface area of Pt^Ni-P/CNT with 12.1% Pt loading was found to be 126 m2 gà1, higher than that of a commercial Pt/C(77.9 m2 gà1). The Tafel slopes for the Pt^Ni-P/CNT catalysts were also found to be smaller than that of Pt/C indicating faster kinetics for hydrogen evolution reaction.

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.

An in situ measure method to study deposition mechanism of electroless Ni-P plating on AZ31 magnesium alloy

An in situ method was designed to measure a continuous open circuit potential （OCP） curve of AZ31 magnesium alloy and to observe the morphology variation of Ni-P coating during the process of the electroless plating. The deposition mechanism of the electroless Ni-P plating on AZ31 Mg alloy was studied by OCP curve, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, and energy dispersion spectroscopy （EDS）. The process of electroless Ni-P plating contains the coating formation stage and the coating growth stage. The formation stage includes three procedures, i.e., the nucleation and growth of Ni crystallites, the extension of the coating in two-dimensional （2D） direction and the coalescence of the coating along three-dimensional （3D） direction. SEM investigations demonstrate that the spherical nodules of the Ni-P coating are not only formed during the coating growth stage, but also generated in the initial deposition stage of electroless Ni-P plating. The variation of the coating rates at different deposition stages corresponds to the deposition mechanism of their respective deposition stage.

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.

Effect of novel ternary ligand system on acidic electroless Ni-P plating on AZ91D magnesium alloy

The electroless Ni-P coatings on AZ91 D magnesium alloy substrate were prepared using the acidic hypophosphite-reduced electroless nickel bath containing the novel ternary ligand system. The results indicate that the deposition rate varies with the ternary ligand concentration in plating solution. The structural and morphological characteristics of the coatings were analyzed by XRD and SEM. The anticorrosion properties of the Ni-P coatings were evaluated in 3.5% NaCl solution by electrochemical impedance and potentiodynamic polarization methods. The amount of ternary ligands in electroless plating bath has an significant effect on the surface morphology and structure of Ni-P coatings. The decrease of crystallization temperature and increase of crystallization heat of all the deposits with an increase in ternary ligand concentration are found by DSC measurements. The coating obtained with 0.035 mol/L ternary ligand additive in plating bath can offer a better surface homogeneity and improve corrosion resistance.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Influence of pH value on microstructure and thermal stability of Ni-P electroless coating prepared in acidic condition

Three kinds of Ni-P electroless coatings were prepared in nickel sulphate solution at different pH values of 4.5, 5.5 and 6.5 with the purpose of ascertaining the influence of pH value on microstructure, internal stress statue and thermal stability of the coatings. Laser curvature （LC） method was used to measure the residual stress level in the coatings. Scanning electronic microscopy （SEM） and transmission electronic microscopy with energy dispersive spectrum （TEM/EDS） were used to examine the surface morphology and internal phase structure of the coatings, respectively. Differential scanning calorimeter （DSC） was used to analyze the phase transformation and thermal stability of the coatings at high temperature. Results showed the NiP coating prepared at pH 5.5 with nanocrystal mixed in amorphous structure had the worst thermal stability. The relatively higher stability of Ni-P coatings prepared at pH 4.5 and 6.5 was ascribed to the lower tensile stress level and much finer grain size, respectively. Besides, inverse Hall-Petch effect of annealing strengthening might also contribute to the integrity of NiP coating prepared at pH 6.5. C 2009 Hui Ming Jin. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society. All rights reserved.

Microstructure and corrosion behavior of electroless deposited Ni-P/CeO_2 coating

Electroless Ni-P/nano-CeO2 composite coating was prepared in acidic condition, and its microstructure and corrosive property were compared with its CeO2-free counterpart. Scanning electronic microscopy （SEM） and X-ray diffraction （XRD） spectrometer were used to examine surface morphology and structure of the as-plated coating. Differential scanning calorimeter （DSC） and transmission electronic microscopy （TEM） were used to study the coating＇s phase change at high temperature. The coating＇s corrosive behavior in 3%NaCl ＋ 5%H2SO4 solution was also investigated. The results showed that Ni-P coating had partial amorphous structure mixed with nano-crystals, while the Ni-P/CeO2 coating had perfect amorphous structure. In high-temperature condition, Ni3P precipitation and Ni crystallization took place in both coatings but at different temperatures, while the Ni-P/CeO2 coating had sintered phase of NiCe2O4 spinels. The anti-corrosion property was better in the CeO2-containing coating, and this was due to its less liability to undergo local-cell corrosion than its CeO2-free counterpart. Ni-P/CeO2 coating＇s pure amorphous structure was the result of Ni＇s hindered crystal-typed deposition and P＇s promoted deposition.

Evaluation of residual stress and corrosion behaviour of electroless plated Ni-P/Ni-Mo-P coatings

Single Ni-P and Ni-Mo-P coatings as well as duplex Ni-P/Ni-Mo-P coatings with the same compositions were prepared by electroless plating.The residual stresses of the coatings on the surface and cross sections were measured by nanoindentation and AFM analysis,and the corrosion behaviour of the coatings in10%HCl solution was evaluated by electrochemical methods,to establish the correlation between the residual stresses and corrosion behaviour of the coatings.The results showed that the single Ni-P and duplex Ni-P/Ni-Mo-P coatings presented residual compressive stresses of241and206MPa respectively,while the single Ni-Mo-P coating exhibited a residual tensile stress of257MPa.The residual compressive stress impeded the growth of the pre-existing porosity in the coatings,protecting the integrity of the coating.The duplex Ni-P/Ni-Mo-P coatings had better corrosion resistance than their respective single coating.In addition,the stress states affect the corrosive form of coatings.

Study of the Corrosion Resistance of Electroless Ni-P Deposits in a Sodium Chloride Medium

The corrosion resistance of electroless Ni-P deposits with phosphorous contents from 12% to 14% in sodium chloride solutions was studied. The deposits were immersed in 3.5% NaCl solutions for 29 d to obtain the electrochemical parameters and were examined in a standard salt spray test for 15 d respectively. The corrosion resistance of the deposits was studied by poten- tio-dynamic scan, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and cold-field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray detector (EDX). The patterns of XRD and the results of FE-SEM showed that the prepared deposits were amorphous. But after a 15 d standard salt spray test, a few pinholes appeared on the surface of the deposit and the weight content of phosphorus on the surface of the deposit was higher (which was beneficial to the formation of the passivation films) than that before the standard salt spray test when the nickel content was lower because the dissolved weight of nickel was greater than that of phosphorus. The results from potentio-dynamic scan and EIS showed that passivation films formed on the Ni-P deposit after immersion in the NaCl solutions, which decreased the corrosion rate of Ni-P samples. The results of this work show their potential applications in marine corrosion.

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.

Interfacial reactions between Sn-2.5Ag-2.0Ni solder and electroless Ni(P) deposited on SiC_p/Al composites

A novel Sn-2.5Ag-2.0Ni alloy was used for soldering SiCp/Al composites substrate deposited with electroless Ni(5%P) (mass fraction)and Ni(10%P)(mass fraction)layers.It is observed that variation of P contents in the electroless Ni(P)layer results in different types of microstructures of SnAgNi/Ni(P)solder joint.The morphology of Ni3Sn4 intermetallic compounds(IMCs)formed between the solder and Ni(10%P)layer is observed to be needle-like and this shape provides high speed diffusion channels for Ni to diffuse into solder that culminates in high growth rate of Ni3Sn4.The diffusion of Ni into solder furthermore results in the formation of Kirkendall voids at the interface of Ni(P)layer and SiCp/Al composites substrate.It is observed that solder reliability is degraded by the formation of Ni2SnP,P rich Ni layer and Kirkendall voids.The compact Ni3Sn4 IMC layer in Ni(5%P)solder joint prevents Ni element from diffusing into solder,resulting in a low growth rate of Ni3Sn4 layer.Meanwhile,the formation of Ni2SnP that significantly affects the reliability of solder joints is suppressed by the low P content Ni(5%P)layer.Thus,shear strength of Ni(5%P) solder joint is concluded to be higher than that of Ni(10%P)solder joint.Growth of Ni3Sn4 IMC layer and formation of crack are accounted to be the major sources of the failure of Ni(5%P)solder joint.

Electrochemical behavior of Cu-Zn-Al shape memory alloy after surface modification by electroless plated Ni-P

The electrochemical behavior of Cu-Zn-Al shape memory alloy (SMA) with andwithout electroless plated Ni-P was investigated by electrochemical methods, in artificial Tyrode'ssolution. The results showed that Cu-Zn-Al SMA engendered dezincification corrosion in Tyrode'ssolution. The anodic active current densities as well as electrochemical dissolution sensitivity ofthe electroless plated Ni-P Cu-Zn-Al SMA increased with NaCl concentration rising, pH of solutiondecreasing and environmental temperature uprising. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that aftersurface modification by electroless plated Ni-P, an amorphous plated film formed on the surface ofCu-Zn-Al SMA. This film can effectively isolate matrix metal from corrosion media and significantlyimprove the electrochemical property of Cu-Zn-Al SMA in artificial Tyrode's solution.

Erosion and Toughening Mechanisms of Electroless Ni-P-Nano-NiTi Composite Coatings on API X100 Steel under Single Particle Impact

The addition of superelastic NiTi to electroless Ni-P coating has been found to toughen the otherwise brittle coatings in static loading conditions, though its effect on erosion behaviour has not yet been explored. In the present study, spherical WC-Co erodent particles were used in single particle impact testing of Ni-P-nano-NiTi composite coatings on API X100 steel substrates at two average velocities—35 m/s and 52 m/s. Erosion tests were performed at impact angles of 30°, 45°, 60°, and 90°. The effect of NiTi concentration in the coating was also examined. Through examination of the impact craters and material response at various impact conditions, it was found that the presence of superelastic NiTi in the brittle Ni-P matrix hindered the propagation of cracks and provided a barrier to crack growth. The following toughening mechanisms were identified: crack bridging and deflection, micro-cracking, and transformation toughening.

Development of Sb Microelectrode and In-situ pH Measurement of Electroless Nickel Reaction Interface

Sb microelectrodes were prepared by plating. The results of testing show that they have excellent stability, quick responding speed, high pH sensitivity (35～40 mV/pH) and long useful life in high temperature acidic electroless nickel (EN) bath. By using Sb microelectrode, the pH value in EN reaction interface was measured in situ . There exists the fluctuation of pH during EN plating, and the amplitude of fluctuation tends to decrease with plating time. The largest fluctuation amplitude can reach 1～2 pH value. The in situ pH measurement provides reliable experimental results for explaining the formation of layer structure of EN deposit.

Ni-P化学镀的机理及其研究方法

Ni P化学镀镀液体系复杂 ,影响因素甚多 ,因此多种Ni P化学镀机理理论共存 ,综述并评价了目前流行的几种化学镀的机理理论 。