Electrodeposited Nanocrystalline Ni-Fe with Banded Structure

Abstract

The microstructure of a Ni–18 wt.% Fe electrodeposits having a banded structure is described in detail. The aim is to investigate the influence of the banded structure on grain growth behaviour and texture and to elucidate if there are other mechanisms operative in the stabilization of nanocrystalline electrodeposits. Spectroscopy techniques have been used to characterize the variations in alloy/impurity concentration perpendicular to the growth direction. The influence of these chemical variations on the microstructural evolution has been monitored by in-situ annealing treatments in the TEM. Local texture of the annealed material has been determined by use of the electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) technique. SEM and TEM investigations have shown that the banded structure is not related to phase changes and that grain growth is not affected by the banded structure, i.e. there is no preferred growth along bands. The first grown grains have <100>, <112> and <111> orientations with the growth direction and upon further grain growth a <111> fibre texture with respect to the growth direction of the electrodeposits is formed. The banded structure seems not to affect the general behaviour of nanocrystalline electrodeposits.