Electrodeposition and mechanical properties of Ni–carbon nanotube nanocomposite coatings

Electrodeposition behavior and mechanical properties of Ni–carbon nanotube (Ni–CNT) nanocomposites were examined with variations of dispersion additive and the content of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in the nanocomposites. Incorporation of MWCNTs into Ni matrix was greatly enhanced by using sodium dodecyl sulfate–hydroxypropylcellulose mixture as dispersion additive. With increasing the MWCNT content of the Ni–CNT composite to 14.6 vol%, a fracture stress of the Ni–CNT/Cu bi-layer film was improved from 607 to 780 MPa, showing that strengthening can be achieved for the Ni–CNT nanocomposite by incorporating MWCNTs into Ni matrix.