Cost-effective wear and oxidation resistant electrodeposited Ni–pumice coating

• Introducing cheaper pumice particles as distributed phase for composites
• Synthesis of a cost-effective wear & oxidation resistant Ni–pumice composite
• Ni–pumice exhibits microhardness, wear and oxidation resistance similar to Ni–SiC.
• Ni–pumice can be an alternative to Ni–SiC coating.

In the search for newer distributed phases that can be used in Ni-composite coatings, inexpensive and naturally available pumice has been identified as a potential candidate material. The composition of the pumice mineral as determined by Rietveld analysis shows the presence of corundum, quartz, mulllite, moganite and coesite phases. Pumice stone is crushed, ball-milled, dried and dispersed in a nickel sulfamate bath and Ni–pumice coatings are electrodeposited at different current densities and magnetic agitation speeds. Pumice particles are uniformly incorporated in the nickel matrix and Ni–pumice composite coatings with microhardness as high as 540 HK are obtained at the lowest applied current density. In the electrodeposited Ni–pumice coatings, the grain size of Ni increases with the applied current density. The overall intensity of texture development is slightly stronger for the Ni–pumice composite coating compared to plain Ni coating and the texture evolution is possibly not the strongest deciding factor for the enhanced properties of Ni–pumice coatings. The wear and oxidation resistances of Ni-pumice coating are commensurate with that of Ni-SiC coating electrodeposited under similar conditions.