Evaluation of wear and corrosion behavior of electroless Ni-B-P/CNT composite coatings on aluminum surfaces

Abstract

The study investigated the effect of incorporating CNTs into Ni-B-P composite coatings, deposited on aluminum surfaces, at varying CNT concentrations. The study aimed to evaluate the effect of CNT reinforcement on the hardness, wear, and corrosion performance of the Ni-B-P matrix. The stability of the electroless coating electrolyte was determined through zeta potential measurement. The coatings' morphological structure and chemical composition were analyzed using FESEM and XRD, and the presence of CNTs in the coating matrix was confirmed through Raman spectroscopy. The results showed that incorporating CNTs into the Ni-B-P matrix led to noticeable improvements in microhardness, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance. The effect of CNT concentration on the Ni-B-P/CNT composite coatings was demonstrated, with the highest hardness recorded at 785 HV. The corrosion behavior of the coatings was evaluated in 3.5 wt% NaCl and 0.5 M H2SO4 solutions, and the best results were obtained in H2SO4 solution with the highest CNT concentration in the composite coating. The wear and friction properties of the Ni-B-P/CNT composite coatings were tested under dry conditions using a reciprocating ball-on-disk tribometer. The results indicated an approximately 1.5 times improvement in wear resistance and a reduction in the friction coefficient from 0.37 μ in the Ni-B-P coating to 0.18 μ in the Ni-B-P/CNT composite coating. The outcomes of the corrosion and tribological studies indicated that incorporating CNTs can significantly enhance the corrosion and wear resistance of Ni-B-P coatings.