On the formation of the interlayer between Ni–P coating and AZ33 magnesium alloy substrate by means of in situ SEM observation

Pre-treatment process is the key step for electroless plating. Once a suitable pre-treatment film is in place, the desired metals can be plated. In this paper, Ni-P coating was successfully prepared on AZ33 magnesium alloy with Mg(OH)2 pre-treatment film by electroless plating. To investigate the role of MgF2 in Ni-P coating, the deposition procedures between Mg(OH)2 pre-treatment film and Mg(OH)2-MgF2 pre-treatment film (a traditional process) were compared. The surface morphology variations of coatings were observed with scanning electron microscopy and the compositions were analyzed by energy dispersive spectrometry. The results showed that during the plating, both MgF2 and Ni-P deposited at the initial stage, and MgF2 distributed in the bottom of the coating, forming a transitional interlayer with Ni-P. According to the heat quench test, a poor adhesion of the coating mainly occurred between the MgF2 and Ni–P coating.

Graphical abstractSEM images of the AZ33 substrate after 300 s coating. Ni-P grain is white and round, and MgF2 is blocky, randomly distributing among Ni-P grains.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide