The cavitation erosion behavior of electroless Ni–P–SiC composite coating

Although electroless Ni–P–SiC is a well known industrial coating used for wear resistance, there appears to be little information pertaining to its effectiveness to resist cavitation erosion. In this study, electroless Ni–P composite coatings are formed on AISI 1045 steel through the addition of nano- and micro-scale SiC particles to the plating bath. The influence of a post-heat treatment on both the conventional electroless Ni–P and composite coatings is examined. The cavitation erosion test is carried out on stationary specimens in accordance with the ASTM G32-98 standard. It is found that the best cavitation erosion resistance, in either distilled water or a 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution, is achieved through both the incorporation of nano-SiC particles and the application of a post-heat treatment.