Influence of the current density on the properties of electrodeposited Ni-W- Ti₂AlC composite coatings

Abstract

In this work, Ni-W-Ti2AlC composite coatings with anti-wear and anti-corrosion abilities were prepared using direct current electrodeposition. The study primarily focuses on the influence of different current densities on structure and properties of Ni-W-Ti2AlC composite coatings. The structural characterization, mechanical properties, and electrochemical performances were studied using SEM, XRD, EDS, and Tafel polarization techniques. The results indicated that Ti2AlC was successfully codeposited into the Ni-W coating. The significant improvement in hardness, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance of Ni-W-Ti2AlC composite coating is attributed to the effects of solid solution strengthening and the uniform distribution of the microstructure. At the current density of 5 A/dm2, the hardness reached the maximum of 650 HV, the lowest friction coefficient is 0.68, and the minimum corrosion current density is 1.052 ⋅ 10-3 mA.cm-2.