Fabrication and characterization of WC particles reinforced Ni[sbnd]Fe composite coating by jet electrodeposition

Abstract

Particle enhanced NiFe composite coating is widely used in the industrial field because of its excellent mechanical properties. If its mechanical properties are improved, its application will be further promoted. In this paper, Ni-Fe-WC composite coatings were prepared by jet electrodeposition (JED). The effects of deposition temperature and deposition current density on the composition and structure of the coatings were investigated. The results show that with the increase of the deposition current density or deposition temperature, the content of WC particles in the coating is increased. When the deposition current density is 100 A/dm2 and the deposition temperature is 50 °C, the content of WC particles reaches the maximum value of 1.45 wt%. The wear resistance and corrosion resistance of the coating are all enhanced with the increase of WC particles. The optimum wear resistance and corrosion resistance are increased by 45.3% and 75.4% respectively. With the increase of the deposition current density or deposition temperature, the grain orientation of the coating gradually changes from (111) to (200) and (220). When the deposition current density is 50 A/dm2 and the deposition temperature is 30 °C, the coating has a (111) fully oriented structure. The adhesion force of coating and substrate is positively correlated with TC(111). When TC(111) is 100%, the maximum adhesion force is more than 60 N. The lower deposition current density or higher deposition temperature can promote the nucleation of metal atoms and inhibit the growth of nucleation, the average grain size of the coating decreases and the strength of the coating increases accordingly. This study can provide theoretical support for the preparation of particle enhanced NiFe composite coatings with required properties.