Electrodeposition of composite Ni-based coatings with the addition of Ti or/and Al particles

Composite Ni+Ti, Ni+Al and Ni+Ti+Al coatings were prepared by codeposition of Ti or/and Al particles in a Ni matrix on a carbon steel substrate from the bath in which metallic powders were held in suspension. Deposits exhibited a presence of Ti and Al microsize particles embedded into the nanocrystalline nickel matrix. The influence of metal powder amount in the bath, as well as deposition current density on chemical composition of obtained coatings, has been investigated. It was stated that Ti and Al content in coatings rose with an increase in metal powder amount in the bath and reaches the maximum value of 68 and 44 wt.% for Ti and Al in Ni+Ti and Ni+Al coatings, respectively. The chemical composition of Ni+Ti+Al coatings was dependent on the mass ratio of Ti/Al powders in the bath and varied from 12 to 60 wt.% for Ti and from 4 to 25 wt.% for Al. By varying the parameters of deposition process, the optimum conditions for the production of composite Ni-based coatings containing Ti or/and Al microsize particles were obtained. The proposed electrodeposition method permits a new generation of high-performance composite coatings to be produced inexpensively and efficiently.