Synthesis and properties of electroless Ni-P-Nanometer Diamond composite coatings

Nanometer Diamond (ND) was synthesized by using the detonation method. It was a kind of materials with properties of diamond and nanometer particle. The Ni-P-ND composite coating was prepared from a suspension of diamond nanoparticles in electroless bath. The tribological properties, hardness and corrosion behaviours of the composite coating on medium carbon steels were investigated. The Ni-P-ND composite coating exhibits not only high wear resistance but also low friction coefficient compared with the Ni-P composite coating. The highest microhardness of the Ni-P-ND composite coating was obtained by heat treated at 673 K. The corrosion resistance of Ni-P-ND composite coating is superior to that of Ni-P coating. The mechanisms of improvement of the tribological and electrochemical properties of the electroless composite coating are also discussed.