Dry friction and wear characteristics of nickel/carbon nanotube electroless composite deposits

Ni/carbon nanotube (Ni/CNTs) composite coatings were deposited on carbon steel plate by electroless deposition. The friction and wear properties were examined under dry sliding conditions using the ball-on-disk configuration. For reference, carbon steel plate was coated with Ni, Ni/SiC and Ni/graphite. The results show that the Ni/CNT coating has a microhardness value of 865 Hv, greater than for SiC reinforced composite deposits. The Ni/CNTs composite coating possesses not only a higher wear resistance but also a lower friction coefficient, resulting from their improved mechanical characteristics and the unique topological structure of the hollow nanotubes.