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.

Tuning Li/Ni mixing by reactive coating to boost the stability of cobalt-free Ni-rich cathode

Cobalt-free cathode materials are attractive for their high capacity and low cost,yet they still encounter issues with structural and surface instability.AlPO_(4),in particular,has garnered attention as an effective stabilizer for bulk and surface.However,the impact of interfacial reactions and elemental interdiffusion between AlPO_(4) and LiNi_(0.95)Mn_(0.05)O_(2) upon sintering on the bulk and surface remains elusive.In this study,we demonstrate that during the heat treatment process,AlPO_(4) decomposes,resulting in Al doping into the bulk of the cathode through elemental interdiffusion.Simultaneously,PO_(4)^(3-)reacts with the surface Li of material to form a Li_3PO_(4) coating,inducing lithium deficiency,thereby increasing Li/Ni mixing.The suitable Li/Ni mixing,previously overlooked in AlPO_(4) modification,plays a pivotal role in stabilizing the bulk and surface,exceeding the synergy of Al doping and Li_3PO_(4) coating.The presence of Ni^(2+)ions in the lithium layers contributes to the stabilization of the delithiated structure via a structural pillar effect.Moreover,suitable Li/Ni mixing can stabilize the lattice oxygen and electrode-electrolyte interface by increasing oxygen removal energy and reducing the overlap between the Ni^(3+/4+)e_g and O^(2-)2p orbitals.These findings offer new perspectives for the design of stable cobalt-free cathode materials.

Preventing formation of intermetallic compounds in ultrasonic-assisted Sn soldering of Mg/Al alloys through pre-plating a Ni coating layer on the Mg substrate

Magnesium and aluminum alloys are widely used in various industries because of their excellent properties,and their reliable connection may increase application of materials.Intermetallic compounds(IMCs)affect the joint performance of Mg/Al.In this study,AZ31 Mg alloy with/without a nickel(Ni)coating layer and 6061 Al alloy were joined by ultrasonic-assisted soldering with Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu(SAC)filler.The effects of the Ni coating layer on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg/Al joints were systematically investigated.The Ni coating layer had a significant effect on formation of the Mg_(2)Sn IMC and the mechanical properties of Mg/Al joints.The blocky Mg_(2)Sn IMC formed in the Mg/SAC/Al joints without a Ni coating layer.The content of the Mg_(2)Sn IMC increased with increasing soldering temperature,but the joint strength decreased.The joint without a Ni coating layer fractured at the blocky Mg_(2)Sn IMC in the solder,and the maximum shear strength was 32.2 MPa.By pre-plating Ni on the Mg substrate,formation of the blocky Mg_(2)Sn IMC was inhibited in the soldering temperature range 240–280℃and the joint strength increased.However,when the soldering temperature increased to 310℃,the blocky Mg_(2)Sn IMC precipitated again in the solder.Transmission electron microscopy showed that some nano-sized Mg_(2)Sn IMC and the(Cu,Ni)_(6)Sn_(5)phase formed in the Mg(Ni)/SAC/Al joint soldered at 280℃,indicating that the Ni coating layer could no longer prevent diffusion of Mg into the solder when the soldering temperature was higher than 280℃.The maximum shear strength of the Mg(Ni)/SAC/Al joint was 58.2 MPa for a soldering temperature of 280℃,which was 80.7%higher than that of the Mg/SAC/Al joint,and the joint was broken at the Mg(Ni)/SAC interface.Pre-plating Ni is a feasible way to inhibit formation of IMCs when joining dissimilar metals.

MICROSTRUCTURE OF ELECTRODEPOSITED Ni-W-P-SiC COMPOSITE COATINGS

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Corrosion resistance of electrodeposited RE-Ni-W-P-SiC composite coating

Immersion experiment results show that corrosion rate of the as deposited RE Ni W P SiC composite coating in HCl solutions increases with the rise of HCl concentration. On the contrary, the corrosion rate of the composite coating after heat treatment decreases with increasing HCl concentration. The corrosion rates of the composite coatings in as deposited state and after heat treatment in H 2SO 4 and H 3PO 4 solutions respectively decrease with the rise of H 2SO 4 and H 3PO 4 concentrations. The corrosion rate of the composite coating as deposited in FeCl 3 solutions decreases with increasing FeCl 3 concentration, while the rate of the composite coating after heat treatment increases with the rise of FeCl 3 concentration. The corrosion rate of 316L stainless steel in the corrosion media of H 2SO 4, HCl, H 3PO 4 and FeCl 3 solutions at different concentrations increases with rising concentration. In addition, the corrosion rate of 316L stainless steel in the corrosion media of H 2SO 4, HCl, H 3PO 4 and FeCl 3 solutions respectively is much greater than that of the RE Ni W P SiC composite coating as deposited and after heat treatment in the same corrosion media. [

Effects of addition of rare earth on properties and structures of Ni-W-B-SiC composite coatings

The effects of rare earth (RE) on the composition, phase structures, surface morphologies and hardness of electrodeposited RE Ni W B SiC composite coatings were discussed. The results show that W and SiC contents in the coatings increase with the increase of RE in the bath. When RE is added in the coatings, the grains are refined and the trend of formation of amorphous coatings is increased. Moreover, the thermal stability of the RE Ni W B SiC composite coatings is enhanced. The hardness of the coatings is increased with the increase of heat treatment temperature, and it reaches the peak value when heated at 400 ℃. Besides, the hardness of the RE Ni W B SiC coatings is higher than that of the Ni W B SiC coatings.

Microstructure of electrodeposited RE-Ni-W-P-SiC composite coating

The components and microstructure of the RE Ni W P SiC composite coating were analyzed by means of EPXDS, SEM and XRD. The results showed that the composite coating containing 5%～14%RE, 4%～7%SiC, 12%～15%P and 5%～6%W was obtained by use of appropriate bath composition and plating conditions. The as deposited composite coating is amorphous and it becomes mixture when the temperature is raised from 200 ℃ to 400 ℃. However, the composite coating is crystal when the temperature is over 400 ℃. Scanning electron microscopy indicates that the heat treatment temperature has no effect on the surface morphologies of the RE Ni W P SiC composite coating. This is to say that the composite coating has a better heat stability of microstructure and high temperature oxidation.

PROPERTIES OF ELECTRODEPOSITED AMORPHOUS Ni-W-P-SiC COMPOSITE COATINGS

The Effects of heat treatment temperature on the hardness,wear resistance and structure of the amorphous Ni-W-P-SiC composite coatings have been investigated.The results show that Ni-W-P-SiC composite coatings are amorphous under 300℃, partially crystalline at 300-400℃,and crystalline when heat treatment temperature reaches 400℃,the crystals being fine Ni3P phase particles.The hardness,wear resistance and the crystallization temperature of the composite coatings increase when an additive is added into the bath.The hardness and wear resistance of the coatings increase with increasing heat treatment temperature,and they will reach their peak values when the heat treatment temperature reaches 400℃.Corrosion experiment indicates that the corrosion resistance of amorphous Ni-W-P-SiC composite coatings in various kinds of corrosive media except nitric acid is better than that of stainless steel 1Cr18Ni9Ti.Scanning electron microscopy observation shows that the additive has no effect on the surface appearance of the coatings,but the current density and the pH value have considerable effects on the surface appearance.

Microstructure,microhardness and corrosion resistance of laser cladding Ni−WC coating on AlSi5Cu1Mg alloy

The microstructure,microhardness,and corrosion resistance of laser cladding Ni−WC coating on the surface of AlSi5Cu1Mg alloy were investigated by scanning electron microscopy,X-ray diffraction,microhardness testing,immersion corrosion testing,and electrochemical measurement.The results show that a smooth coating containing NiAl,Ni_(3)Al,M_(7)C_(3),M_(23)C_(6)phases(M=Ni,Al,Cr,W,Fe)and WC particles is prepared by laser cladding.Under a laser scanning speed of 120 mm/min,the microhardness of the cladding coating is 9−11 times that of AlSi5Cu1Mg,due to the synergistic effect of excellent metallurgical bond and newly formed carbides.The Ni−WC coating shows higher corrosion potential(−318.09 mV)and lower corrosion current density(12.33μA/cm^(2))compared with the matrix.The crack-free,dense cladding coating obviously inhibits the penetration of Cl^(−)and H^(+),leading to the remarkedly improved corrosion resistance of cladding coating.

CATHODIC PROCESS AND WEAR RESISTANCE OF ELECTRO-DEPOSITED RE-Ni-W-P-SiC COMPOSITE COATING

Cathodic deposition current density of the composite coatings increases when SiC par-ticles and rare earth (RE) were added in the bath, which is profitable for Ni- W-P alloy to deposit in the cathod, forming Ni-W-P-SiC and RE-Ni-W-P-SiC composite coatings. On the contrary, the addition of PTFE in the bath decreases cathodic deposition current density of the coatings. The current density increases a little when the amount of RE is 7-9g/l; however, the current density increases greatly when the amount of RE is increased to 11-13g/l. Bui ij the amount of RE is raised further, the current density decreases. Hardness and wear resistance of RE-Ni-W-P-SiC composite coating have been studied, and the results show that the hardness and wear resistance of RE-Ni-W-P-SiC composite coating increase with increasing heat treatment tempera-ture, which reach peak values at 400℃; while the hardness and wear resistance of the coating decrease with the rise of heat treated temperature continuously.

Wetting of molten Sn-3.5Ag-0.5Cu on Ni-P(-SiC) coatings deposited on high volume faction SiC/Al composite

The wetting of molten Sn-3.5Ag-0.5Cu alloy on the Ni-P(-SiC)coated SiCp/Al substrates was investigated by electroless Ni plating process,and the microstructures of the coating and the interfacial behavior of wetting systems were analyzed.The SiC particles are evenly distributed in the coating and enveloped with Ni.No reaction layer is observed at the coating/SiCp/Al composite interfaces.The contact angle increases from^19°with the Ni-P coating to 29°,43°and 113°with the corresponding Ni-P-3SiC,Ni-P-6SiC and Ni-P-9SiC coatings,respectively.An interaction layer containing Cu,Ni,Sn and P forms at the Sn-Ag-Cu/Ni-P-(0,3,6)SiC coated SiCp/Al interfaces,and the Cu-Ni-Sn and Ni-Sn-P phases are detected in the interaction layer.Moreover,the molten Sn-Ag-Cu can penetrate into the Ni-P(-SiC)coatings through the Ni-P/SiC interface and dissolve them to contact the SiCp/Al substrate.

STUDY ON PROPERTIES OF PULSE ELECTRODEPOSITED RE-Ni-W-P-SiC COMPOSITE COATINGS

The effects of pulse frequency f and duty cycle r on the deposition rate, composition, morphology, and hardness of pulse electrodeposited RE （rare earth）-Ni-W-P-SiC composite coatings have been studied. The results indicate that pulse current can improve the deposition rate of RE-Ni-W-P-SiC composite coatings; W, P, and SiC contents in the coating decrease with the increase of pulse frequency and reach the lowest value at f = 33Hz, whereas the RE content in the composite coatings increases with the increase of pulse frequency. SiC content decreases with the increase of duty cycle, W content reaches the lowest value, and P content reaches the highest value at r = 0.4; pulse current and RE can lead to smaller size of the crystalline grains; however, the effects of different pulse frequency and duty cycle on the morphologies of RE-Ni-W-P-SiC composite coatings are not obvious. The hardness of RE-Ni-W-P-SiC composite coatings is the highest when the duty cycle is at 0.6 and 0.8 and pulse frequency is at 50Hz. At the same pulse frequency, the hardness of RE-Ni-W-P-SiC composite coatings at r= 0.8 is higher than that at r= 0.6.

Structure and characteristics of electrodeposited RE-Ni-W-P-B_4C-PTFE composite coatings

Hardness, friction and wear characteristics of electrodeposited RE Ni W P B 4C PTFE composite coatings were studied, and the reason for these fine characteristics was explained in respect of structure. The results show that 1) the structure of RE Ni W P B 4C PTFE composite coatings experiences a transformation process from amorphous to mixture then to crystal as the heat treatment temperature rises; 2) incorporating of B 4C greatly increases the hardness of the coating; 3) the wear resistance of the coating is best with heat treatment for 1?h at 300?℃, which is greatly superior to that of the other traditional coatings.

Fabrication of superhydrophobic reduced-graphene oxide/nickel coating with mechanical durability,self-cleaning and anticorrosion performance

There is a great challenge to fabricate superhydrophobic coating with excellent mechanical durability and corrosion resistance.Inspired by the pinecone-shaped structure,a novel reduced-graphene oxide(rGO)/Ni composite coating with pinecone-like micro/nanostructures was fabricated successfully on a stainless steel substrate using a simple electrodeposition method combining Ni pre-deposition and an elevated current assistant approach.The results show that the coating is of self-cleaning and superhydrophicity with a water contact angle(CA)of 162.7°±0.8°and a sliding angle(SA)of 2.5°±1.0°.Importantly,the coating still maintains the excellent self-cleaning and superhydrophicity,water CA of 155.8°±1.2°and SA of 5.9°±1.2°,even after 100-cycle mechanical abrasion.Meanwhile,the coating also exhibits good anticorrosion performance in 3.5 wt%NaCl solution,with 99.98%inhibition efficiency.The simple fabrication method may provide a cost-effective way to prepare mechanically durable,anticorrosive,self-cleaning and superhydrophobic coatings on metal substrates.

Improving Wear Resistance of the Ni-base Thermal Spray-Welding Coating Using Rare Earths

By adding rare earth alloy and cerium oxide, the effect of rare earths on tribological properties of nickel base alloy layer was studied to approach the possibility of applying rare earths to Ni base thermal spray welding coating. Wear test results showed that the wear rates of the nickel base coating without rare earths were quite high, and the load bearing capacity of coating was low, in contrast, the wear rates of the coating with rare earths were low and the coating had higher load bearing capacity. The results show that rare earths can refine the structure of nickel base alloy, improve the interface of the coating and substrate.

Incorporation of nano/micron-SiC particles in Ni-based composite coatings towards enhanced mechanical and anti-corrosion properties

Ni-based composite coatings incorporated with nano/micron SiC particles were fabricated via electrochemical co-deposition in Watts bath,followed by the evaluation of their mechanical and anti-corrosion properties.The micrographic observations suggest that the SiC particles with various sizes can be well incorporated to the Ni substrate.X-ray diffraction(XRD)patterns indicate that SiC particles with smaller sizes could weaken the preferential growth of Ni along(200)facet.In addition,it is found that the incorporated SiC particles with medium micron sizes(8 and 1.5μm)could significantly enhance the micro-hardness of the Ni composite coatings.Nevertheless,electrochemical measurements demonstrate that micron-sized SiC particles would weaken the corrosion resistance of Ni composite coatings ascribed to the structure defects induced.In contrast,the combined incorporation of nanosized(50 nm)SiC particles with medium micron(1.5μm)ones is capable of promoting the compactness of the composite coatings,which is beneficial to the long-term corrosion resistance with negligible micro-hardness loss.

Corrosion resistance of electrodeposited RE-Ni-W-P-SiC-PTFE composite coating in phosphoric and ferric chloride

Corrosion rate and anode polarization curves of electrodeposited RE-Ni-W-P-SiC-PTFE composite coating in various concentrations of phosphoric and ferric chloride were researched. The results show that corrosion rate of the composite coatings increases with the increasing concentrations of phosphoric and ferric chloride, and reaches the maximum value when phosphoric concentration is 40% and ferric chloride concentration is 20% (mass fraction, the same below if not mentioned). Anode polarization curves of the composite coatings show that anode polarization current density of the composite coatings heat-treated at 200 ℃ or 500 ℃ is lower than that of other coatings heat-treated at 300 ℃ or 400 ℃, which displays that the composite coatings heat-treated at 200 ℃ or 500 ℃ have better corrosion resistance. Besides, corrosion resistance of the composite coating heat-treated at 500 ℃ is better than that as deposited and RE-Ni-W-P-SiC composite coating heat-treated at 400 ℃, and is also better than that of 316L stainless steel.

Corrosive-wear and Electrochemical Performance of Laser Thermal Sprayed Co30Cr8W1.6C3Ni1.4Si Coating on Ti6Al4V Alloy

Co30Cr8W1.6C3Ni1.4Si coatings were fabricated on Ti6Al4V alloy using a laser thermal spraying(LTS).The surface and cross-section morphologies,phases and bonding strength of obtained coatings were investigated using scanning electronic microscopy(SEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD),and scratch test,respectively.The effects of laser power on the coefficients of friction(COFs)and corrosive-wear behaviors of Co30Cr8W1.6C3Ni1.4Si coatings were investigated using a wear tester in 3.5%NaCl solution,and the electrochemical corrosion performance was analyzed using an electrochemical workstation.The experimental results show that the Co30Cr8W1.6C3Ni1.4Si coating is bonded with the substrate in the metallurgical form,and the bonding strengths of Co30Cr8W1.6C3Ni1.4Si coatings fabricated at the laser power of 1000,1200,and 1400 W are 76.5,56.5,and 55.6 N,respectively.The average COFs of Co30Cr8W1.6C3Ni1.4Si coatings fabricated at the laser power of 1000,1200,and 1400 W are 0.769,0.893,and 0.941,respectively;and the corresponding wear rates are 0.267×105,0.3178×105,and 0.325×105μm3/Nm,respectively,which increases with the increase of laser power,the wear mechanism is primarily abrasive wear.The corrosion potential of Co30Cr8W1.6C3Ni1.4Si coatings fabricated at the laser power of 1000,1200,and 1400 W is-0.05,-0.25,and-0.31 V,respectively,higher than-0.45 V of substrate which enhances the electrochemical corrosion resistance of substrate.

Surface Modification With Zinc and Zn-Ni Alloy Compositionally Modulated Multilayer Coatings

Zinc and Zn-Ni alloy compositionally modulated multilayer （CMM） coatings were electrodeposited on to a steel substrate by the successive deposition of zinc and Zn-Ni alloy sublayers from dual baths. The coated samples were evaluated in terms of the surface appearance, surface and cross-sectional morphologies, as well as corrosion resistance. The microstructural characteristics that were examined using the field emission gun scanning electron microscopy （FEGSEM） confirmed the layered structure, grain refinement of the zinc and Zn-Ni alloy CMM coatings, and revealed the existence of microcracks caused by the internal stress in the thick Zn-Ni alloy sublayers. The corrosion resistance that was evaluated by means of the salt spray test shows that the zinc and Zn-Ni alloy CMM coatings were more corrosion-resistant than the monolithic coatings of zinc or Zn-Ni alloy of the same thickness. The possible reasons for the better protective performance of Zn-Ni/Zn CMM coatings were given on the basis of the analysis on the micrographic features of zinc and Zn-Ni alloy CMM eoatings after the corrosion test. A probable corrosion mechanism of zinc and Zn-Ni alloy CMM coatings was also proposed.

Sliding wear behaviors of electrodeposited Ni composite coatings containing micrometer and nanometer Cr particles

Micrometer and nanometer Cr particles were co-deposited with Ni by electroplating from a nickel sulfate bath containing a certain content of Cr particles. Cr microparticles are in a size range of 1-5 μm and Cr nanoparticles have an average size of 40 nm. The friction and the wear performance of the co-deposited Ni-Cr composite coatings were comparatively evaluated by sliding against Si3N4 ceramic balls under non-lubricated conditions. It is found that the incorporation of Cr particles enhances the microhardness and wear resistance of Ni coatings. The wear resistance of Ni composite coating containing Cr nanoparticles is higher than that of the Ni composite coating containing Cr microparticles with a comparable Cr particle content. The co-deposition of smaller nanometer Cr particles with Ni effectively reduces the size of Ni crystals and significantly increases the hardness of the composite coatings due to grain-refinement strengthening and dispersion-strengthening,resulting in a significant improvement of wear resistance of the Ni-Cr nanocomposite coatings.