Preparation and Properties of Graphene/Nickel Composite Coating Based on Textured Surface of Aluminum Alloy

Abstract

This study carried out a novel duplex surface treatment on aluminum alloy base to explore the potential improvement of wear and corrosion resistance. Regular arrayed dimple surface texture (DST) and groove surface texture (GST) were fabricated by using laser processing on 6065 aluminum alloy matrix (6065Al). Electrochemical deposition of Ni and Graphene/Ni coatings on textured surface was then performed in electrolytes with concentrations of 0, 0.5, 1 and 1.5 mg graphene. Surface morphology such as diameter of dimple and width of groove measured by C-PSCN stereo microscope presents addition of graphene helps to refine and homogenize the coating. Corrosion resistant properties of the duplex surface treatment were examined by electrochemical corrosion tests and wear resistant properties were tested by UMT-Tribo Lab friction and wear tester in a dry sliding condition at room temperature. Electrochemical corrosion tests results show that the corrosion resistance of samples is related to the specific surface texture and the dimple texture can improve the electrical corrosion parameters, such as the electrode potential, greatly. Friction and wear tests show that the textured Gr/Ni electroplating coating with the 1.5 mg graphene content has best wear properties under vertical friction and each index, such as the coefficient of friction and wear trace width, are superior to other conditions of samples.

Local electrochemical corrosion performance of nano-SiC/MAO composite coating on 6061-Al alloy

“…To prevent possible corrosion problems in aluminum alloy, surface treatment processes such as electroplating (Hu et al , 2013), electrodeposition (Xu et al , 2019), anodic oxidation (Jalal et al , 2019), physical vapor deposition/CVD (Bashir et al , 2017; Ogawa and Masuda, 2014), thermal spraying (Subbiah et al , 2019), laser cladding (Siddiqui and Dubey, 2021) and micro-arc oxidation (Marin et al , 2016; Cui et al , 2017) can be used to prepare anti-corrosion coating on the surface of aluminum alloy. However, in comparison to these treatments, the micro-arc oxidation of aluminum alloy could produce a stronger bonding and more dense coating on the substrate surface and the micro-arc oxidation process is more economical, environmentally friendly, less difficult to implement and more suitable for surface modification of light metals (Lin et al , 2021; Yuting et al , 2020; Fotovvati et al , 2019; Jedrusik et al , 2018).…”

Graphene derivatives reinforced metal matrix nanocomposite coatings: A review

“…Nanocomposite/nanostructure coatings have recently attracted attention due to their mechanical, physical, and chemical properties [1][2][3]. There are several methods to prepare nanocomposite coatings, such as sol-gel, cold/thermal spray method, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), physical vapor deposition (PVD), electroless deposition, laser processing [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12], and electrodeposition methods. The electrodeposition technique in particular has attracted significant attention since it can be done at ambient temperatures, it leads to a reduction in the chance of interfacial reactions, and it is an economical and less wasteful generative process requiring only a simple set-up [13][14][15][16][17][18].…”

Quasi-Monocrystalline Graphene Crystallization on Liquid Copper Matrix

“…However, as a nanomaterial, especially in the powder form, graphene can cause a serious health hazard through pulmonary, oral or dermal exposure, where inhalation causes the greatest risk [6][7][8][9]. What is more, depending on the production method, graphene may strongly influence environmental safety (e.g., graphene oxide production requires strong, concentrated acids that generate hazardous waste which must be disposed of [10]).…”