Effect of  Current Type and Particle Size on Wear and Corrosion Behaviour of Electroplated Ni-B4C Composite Coatings

Khadempir, Seyed Ehsan; Lotfi, Behnam; Sadeghian, Zohreh

doi:10.22068/ijmse.3702

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‎ 10.22068/ijmse.3702

Effect of Current Type and Particle Size on Wear and Corrosion Behaviour of Electroplated Ni-B4C Composite Coatings

Seyed Ehsan Khadempir

, Behnam Lotfi

, Zohreh Sadeghian

Abstract: (103 Views)

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.

Keywords: electroplating, Ni-B4C, unipolar pulse current, pulse reverse current