Seyed Ehsan Khadempir, Behnam Lotfi, Zohreh Sadeghian,
Volume 21, Issue 0 (IN PRESS 2024)
Abstract
Ni-B4C nanocomposite coatings were deposited onto a pure Cu substrate using electroplating. Different types of current, including direct current (DC), pulse reverse current (PRC), and unipolar pulse current (PC), were applied using various concentrations of micron and nano size particles in the electroplating bath. Microstructure, hardness, and wear and corrosion behavior of the coatings were investigated. Microstructural evaluations were performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). Microhardness, pin-on-disk sliding wear, potentiodynamic polarization, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) tests were conducted on the coatings. Electrodeposition using PRC resulted in a more uniform distribution of co-deposited B4C microparticles and nanoparticles within the coatings. Nanocomposite coatings reinforced with B4C nanoparticles were obtained using PRC with a bath concentration of 8 g/l, exhibited higher hardness and improved wear properties compared to composite coatings containing B4C micron-sized particles. Moreover, using PRC resulted in higher hardness values and improved wear and corrosion resistance compared to PC and DC.
