Electrodeposition of Nanocrystalline Ni–W Coatings with Citric Acid System

Abstract

Ni-W alloy coatings were prepared by electrodeposition technique with citric acid as a complexing agent. The influence of the main technical parameters on W content in the Ni-W alloy coatings were investigated by electron dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and the microstructure of the coatings was characterized and analyzed by employing X-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results showed that bright and compact Ni-W alloy coatings with 25.78 wt% W were obtained when the concentration of Na2WO4 x 2H2O was 50 g/L, the concentration of NH4Cl was 20 g/L, the bath pH value was 8.0 and the bath temperature was 70 degrees C. The surface of Ni-W alloy coatings were bright, flat and compact, the mircostructure of the alloy coatings were nanocrystalline and the average grain size was about 38 nm by calculating using Scherrer Equation.