Preparation of nickel-graphene composites by jet electrodeposition and the influence of graphene oxide concentration on the morphologies and properties

Nickel-graphene (N-G) composites are potential candidate structural materials for molten salt reactors. A rapid preparation method for these composites by jet electrodeposition was developed, and the microstructure, microhardness, and corrosion properties of these composites were studied to explore the key parameters of the jet electrodeposition. Results indicated that the distribution of graphene in composites mainly depended on the concentration of graphene oxide (GO) in the plating solution. Composites deposited with GO concentration of 0, 0.5, 1 g/L showed surface root-mean-square roughness value (Rq) of 6, 12, and 28 nm, respectively. Meanwhile with the increase of GO concentration, the Hardness value became larger. The corrosion potential Ecorr and current Icorr of composites obtained at 0.5 g/L with the best surface quality were 193 mV and 5.7 × 10−6 A/cm2, respectively, which indicated the best electrochemical corrosion resistance. Hydrogen annealing can help self-repair of graphene microstructure.