Effect of thermochemical and heat treatments on electroless nickel–boron

Electroless nickel–boron synthesized on mild steel was submitted different post-treatments (heat and thermochemical). The resulting surfaces were examined and characterized by scanning electron microscopy. XRD analysis was performed to investigate structural modifications. The samples were also tested under corrosion conditions and polarization measurements were performed.For both the as-plated and treated Ni–B coatings, correlations between electrochemical and microstructural characteristics were observed and it was found that post-treatments transform the coating to a crystalline form that increases corrosion resistance.