One-step electrodeposited Ni-graphene composite coating with excellent tribological properties

Abstract

How to solve the agglomeration of graphene in the plating bath is an essential challenge to synthesize graphene reinforced composite coatings by electrodeposition. In this paper, the exfoliated graphene (EG) from the graphite electrode was electrodeposited into the composite coating by simultaneously exfoliation and deposition in a ternary deep eutectic solvent. The preparation method is not only simple, but also effective in, and reducing the agglomeration of graphene. The collected EG was characterized by TEM, SEM, and Raman. The results show that few-layers EG is transparent. XRD, SEM, and EDS were used to examine the nickel-graphene composite coating. The results show that the graphene uniformly disperses in the composite coating. The Ni grains are refined, and the crystal plane orientation does not change. Compared with the pure Ni coating, the hardness and wear resistance of the Ni-graphene coating are significantly improved.