Increase of boron content in electroless nickel-boron coating by modification of plating conditions

However, the effect of heat treatment was very different on both types of coatings: while mid-boron coatings crystallized fully in the Ni3B system, high-boron was multiphased. The coatings also presented a difference in terms of hardness behavior with a very important increase for the mid-boron coatings and lesser modification in the case of high boron. The abrasive wear resistance of both kinds of coatings was similar before heat treatment and high-boron coatings had a slightly better behavior after heat treatment. However, the sliding wear behavior of mid-boron coatings is significantly better than that of high-boron electroless nickel.