Can We Consider SiC Nanoparticles Inert When We Add Them to Electrodeposition Systems?

Abstract

One of the biggest challenges that the electrodeposition of nanocomposites faces is obtaining reproducible results and controlled end products. Albeit, nominally equal particles and similar bath composition often are reported contradictory results in the codeposition rate when nanocomposites are electroplated.In this study, the chemical response of as-produced SiC nanoparticles (50 and 60 nm size) from different suppliers was examined by ζ-potential measurements and pH titration. The latter revealed a buffering effect at acidic pH with different intensity for each powder, while the ζ-potential values also varied between suppliers. These results highlighted how the particles’ surface state could be the source of contradictory values in their codeposition rate, where SiC50 reported ≈ 0.8% vol. content, whereas SiC60 ≈ 4.5% vol.The main objective of this work was to tackle the scattering of powder beahviour by a surface treatment (ST) of the powder based on nitric acid, which to the best of the authors’ knowledge has not been proposed before in this context of electroplating nanocomposites. The ST was successful in bringing the particles independently of their size, batch or production route to a common status and behaviour, thus a controlled electrocodeposition. The buffering effect observed by titration reported a similar intensity decrease, and the ζ-potential measurements showed comparable negative values for each powder. Moreover, the ST significantly altered the codeposition rate allowing a similar codeposition for both powders, thus resulting in also a similar microhardness and microstructure.