Tribological Behaviors of Electroless Nickel-Boron Coating on Titanium Alloy Surface

Titanium alloys are excellent structural materials in engineering fields,but their poor tribological properties limit their further applications.Electroless plating is an effective method to enhance the tribological performance of alloys,but it is difficult to efficiently apply to titanium alloys,due to titanium alloy’s strong chemical activity.In this work,the electroless Nickel-Boron(Ni-B)coating was successfully deposited on the surface of titanium alloy(Ti-6AL-4V)via a new pre-treatment process.Then,linearly reciprocating sliding wear tests were performed to evaluate the tribological behaviors of titanium alloy and its electroless Ni-B coatings.It was found that the Ni-B coatings can decrease the wear rate of the titanium alloy from 19.89×10^(−3)mm^(3)to 0.41×10^(−3)mm^(3),which attributes to the much higher hardness of Ni-B coatings.After heat treatment,the hardness of Ni-B coating further increases corresponding to coating crystallization and hard phase formation.However,heat treatment does not improve the tribological performance of Ni-B coating,due to the fact that higher brittleness and more severe oxidative wear exacerbate the damage of heat-treated coatings.Furthermore,the Ni-B coatings heat-treated both in air and nitrogen almost present the same tribological performance.The finding of this work on electroless coating would further extend the practical applications of titanium alloys in the engineering fields.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

High-temperature Compressive Performance of Mg Alloy Foams Coated with Ni-P Layer

Mg/Ni hybrid foams were fabricated by the electroless method.The Ni-P(Nickel-Phosphorous)coatings were deposited on the surface of closed-cell Mg alloy foams.The composition,microstructure and phases of the Ni-P coatings were characterized by scanning electron microscopy(SEM),energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(EDS)and X-ray diffraction(XRD),respectively.The compressive tests were performed on the Mg/Ni hybrid foams at 400℃using the Mg alloy foams as a reference.The experimental results show that the yield strength,plateau stress and energy absorption capacity of the closed-cell Mg alloy foams at high temperature were improved by the Ni-P coating.And there are four main modes for the Mg/Ni hybrid foam failure at 400℃,i e,shearing in cell wall,bending in cell edge,shedding and cracking in Ni-P coating.

Ni–P coating on AZ31 magnesium alloy and its crystallization

Amorphous Ni-P coating was plated on AZ31 magnesium alloy via the electroless plating technique, and the plated alloy was subsequently annealed. X-ray dif- fraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, energy dispersive spectroscopy （EDS）, and differential scanning calorimetry （DSC） were used to characterize the coating. The results show that the hardness of the coating is much higher than that of bare magnesium alloy, which further increases after crystallization. The electrochemical polarization and salt spray tests show that the coating exhibits a much higher corrosion resistance than that of the bare magnesium alloy. Moreover, the crystallized coating still exhibits a much stronger corrosion resistance than that of the bare magnesium alloy, although its corrosion resistance is lower than that of the as-plated one.

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.

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.

MONTE-CARLO SIMULATION FOR ATOMIC DEPOSITION OF AMORPHOUS ELECTROLESS Ni_(80)P_(20) COATING

Atomic growth process and structure of Amorphous Electroless Coating have been studied, using Monte-Carlo simulation method. The simulation results of amorphous Ni80P20 coating show that PDFs are in accordance with practical values. The migrations of adatoms in coating's growth are different from that of solidification of amorphous materials. In some cases, the migrated adatoms in the process of growth of amorphous coating are not enough to occupy all vacancies and traps, so the amorphous coating is micro-porous. The immovable probability k and the largest migration distance of adatoms, which lie on the electroless bath components, affect the PDF, volume density and microporosity remarkably.

EFFECTS OF DEPOSITION PROCESS ON PHOSPHORUS CONTENT IN ELECTROLESS Ni－P COATINGS

There are many factors that affect the phosphorus content in the electroless Ni-P coatings The effects of the compositions of plating solution,the PH values of plat ing solution and the deposition temperature on the phosphorus content in Ni-P coatings were investigated in this paper It is found that the phosphorus content in Ni-P coatings increases and the deposition rate decreases with decreasing PH values,nickel sulphate NiSO4 content of plating solution and the deposition temperature.

A novel dual nickel coating on AZ91D magnesium alloy

Magnesium alloys covered with metal coating display excellent corrosion resistance,wear resistance,conductivity and electromagnetic shielding properties.The electroless plating Ni-P as bottom layer following the electroplating nickel as surface layer on AZ91D magnesium alloy was investigated.The coating surface morphology was observed with SEM and the structure was analyzed with XRD.Electrochemical tests and salt spray tests were carried out to study the corrosion resistance.The experimental results indicate that the dual coating is uniform,compact and pore-free.The adhesion strength between magnesium alloy substrate and electroless plating Ni-P bottom layer and electroplating nickel surface layer is perfect.The corrosion resistance of AZ91D magnesium alloy is greatly improved after being protected with the dual coating.

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.

A novel electroless silver depositing method for magnesium alloys

Depositing silver on magnesium alloy by both electroless plating and organic coatings was studied. The organic coating was made by immersing samples in organosilicon heat-resisting varnish. In this method the organic coating acts as interlayer between the substrate and silver film. When the reaction starts, silver deposits directly on the interlayer. X-ray diffraction and SEM analysis were used to determine the composition and morphology of the interlayer and silver film. The potentiodynamic polarization curves for corrosion studies of coated magnesium alloys were performed in a corrosive environment of 3.5% NaCl(mass fraction) at neutral pH (6.9). The results indicate that compared with the substrate, the corrosion resistance of coated magnesium alloys increases greatly. Moreover, the method proposed in this work is environmentally friendly, non-toxic chemicals were used. In addition, it provides a new concept for the corrosion inhibition of magnesium alloys.

化学镀Ni-P镀层晶化过程研究

化学镀Ni-P镀层的显微组织对其服役性能有重要影响.通过SEM、TEM、XRD和DTA等分析手段,研究了压铸镁合金表面Ni-P镀层的晶化过程.结果表明,初始化学镀层不仅有非晶,还有亚稳态纳米晶;镀层的初始晶化温度大约为300℃,450℃晶化过程完成;升温过程中的原子扩散和纳米晶的长大导致有新的亚稳态相析出和转变;有序畴和析出物一起长大最终产生晶界.

化学镀Ni-P合金工艺的优化

用五种化学镀工艺制备了Ni-P合金镀层。用动电位极化曲线法比较镀层的耐均匀腐蚀性能,用溶液浇浸法测定了镀层的耐孔蚀性能,并用X-射线衍射仪和扫描电子显微镜分别研究镀层结构和表面形貌。结果表明:工艺2制备的镀层具有较高的耐均匀腐蚀和耐孔蚀性能,属于非晶和微晶组成的混晶结构。并对该工艺进行了正交试验,得到了最优工艺条件。

温度对化学镀Ni-P合金层形貌、硬度及耐蚀性的影响

目的揭示在70-95℃施镀温度范围,Ni-P合金镀层显微形貌的变化规律,并探讨表面形貌结构、合金硬度及耐蚀性能的相关性。方法以施镀温度为变量,通过化学沉积的方法制备Ni-P合金镀层。对镀层表面形貌进行表征,测试镀层硬度,并采用盐酸为腐蚀介质进行浸泡,以相对腐蚀速率表征镀层的耐蚀性。结果在70-95℃的施镀温度范围内,随着温度升高,镀层形貌先趋于致密和平整,而后表面粗化,镀层的硬度和耐蚀性均呈现先提高、后降低的趋势。最佳镀层形貌和硬度值出现在85℃,耐蚀性最好的施镀温度区间为85-90℃。结论当镀液p H值为4.5±0.1,施镀时间为3 h时,施镀的最佳温度为85℃。此条件下制备的镀层表面平整且均匀致密,硬度高,耐蚀性能优异。