Electrolytic deposition of Ni–Co–SiC nano-coating for erosion-enhanced corrosion of carbon steel pipes in oilsand slurry

Erosion-enhanced corrosion constitutes an essential threat to the integrity of the oilsand slurry hydrotransport system. In this work, a Ni–Co–SiC nano-coating technology was developed by electrolytic deposition on the carbon steel surface to address this problem. Results demonstrate that the coating develops a compact structure, improving significantly the mechanical properties, including hardness and wear resistance, and the resistance to erosion-enhanced corrosion. The incorporation of SiC nano-particles in the coating, rather than the coating thickness, plays an essential role in the improvement of the coating properties and performance. Furthermore, the electrodepositing parameters, including concentration of SiC in the bath electrolyte, cathodic current density, current pattern and temperature, affect remarkably the content of SiC particles in the coating, and thus the coating performance. An optimal condition was proposed to fabricate the nano-coating for this purpose.

Research Highlights
► Fabrication by electrolytic deposition of a nano-coating on the steel surface for resistance to corrosion and erosion-enhanced corrosion.
► Determine the role of individual electrodepositing parameters in the coating properties and performance.
► Characterize the correlation of the coating performance with the content of SiC nano-particles with the coating performance.