Ni SiC Composites Research Articles

Research on the Corrosion Resistance of Electrodeposited Ni-SiC Composites Constructed for Steel Storage Tank Application.

In this paper, the effects of the SiC phase incorporated in Ni substrate deposits on storage tank steel during electrodeposition at different current densities are explored. The microstructure, phase content, and corrosion resistance of the resulting Ni-SiC composites were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) matched with energy disperse spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and an electrochemical workstation, respectively. SEM micrographs and EDS results show that at 2.5 A/dm2, the composites presented a smooth and compact structure with high SiC content, while at 1.8 or 3.2 A/dm2, it became uneven and loose in structure with low SiC content. XRD patterns showed that the nickel grain size of composites firstly increased and then decreased with the growth of the current density. Notably, the Ni-SiC composite produced at 2.5 A/dm2 possessed a higher corrosion potential (-0.507 V) and lower corrosion current density (2.439 μA/cm2), illustrating that its excellent anti-corrosion ability was superior than that of other two composites. Hence, SiC co-deposited at 2.5 A/dm2 conducted as a protective barrier and inhibited the corrosion rate against a corrosion medium of Cl- and SO42- ions. In addition, the corrosion relationship illustrated that the SiC content of Ni-SiC composite firstly increased and then decreased with the growth of the current density, while the corrosion weight loss of Ni-SiC composites firstly decreased and then increased.

Performance of Ni–SiC composites deposited using magnetic-field-assisted electrodeposition under different magnetic-field directions

To improve the surface and structure performances of metal parts, magnetic-field-assisted electrodeposition was applied to deposit the Ni-SiC composites on Q235 steel substrates. The surface morphology, roughness, microstructure, abrasion resistance, and corrosion resistance of the composites were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), hardness and friction wear tests, and electrochemical analysis, respectively. The Ni-SiC composite (MC-1) fabricated at 0.5 T with perpendicular magnetic direction exhibited a smooth, dense, and fine surface morphology, the highest SiC content, and a Ni grain size of only 72.3 nm. Furthermore, AFM images showed that the roughness of the MC-1 composite (Ra of 84 nm) was lower than those of Ni-SiC composites deposited at 0 T and 0.5 T. XRD analysis indicated that the application of a perpendicular magnetic field changed the preferred growth of Ni grains from the (200) to (111) crystal plane. MC-1 had the highest microhardness and lowest friction coefficient of all composites, indicating its superior abrasion resistance. Furthermore, the MC-1 composite had the lowest corrosion current (0.466 μA/cm2) and highest corrosion potential (−254 mV), indicating its superior corrosion resistance compared to the other composites.

Study of Bond Formation in Ceramic and Composite Materials Ultrasonically Soldered with Bi-Ag-Mg-Type Solder.

This research aimed to study a Bi-Ag-Mg soldering alloy and the direct soldering of Al2O3 ceramics and Ni-SiC composites. Bi11Ag1Mg solder has a broad melting interval, which mainly depends on the silver and magnesium content. The solder starts to melt at a temperature of 264 °C. Full fusion terminates at a temperature of 380 °C. The microstructure of the solder is formed by a bismuth matrix. The matrix contains segregated silver crystals and an Ag (Mg, Bi) phase. The average tensile strength of solder is 26.7 MPa. The boundary of the Al2O3/Bi11Ag1Mg joint is formed by the reaction of magnesium, which segregates in the vicinity of a boundary with a ceramic substrate. The thickness of the high-Mg reaction layer at the interface with the ceramic material was approximately 2 μm. The bond at the boundary of the Bi11Ag1Mg/Ni-SiC joint was formed due to the high silver content. At the boundary, there were also high contents of Bi and Ni, which suggests that there is a NiBi3 phase. The average shear strength of the combined Al2O3/Ni-SiC joint with Bi11Ag1Mg solder is 27 MPa.

Microstructural Evolution of Ni-SiC Composites Manufactured by Spark Plasma Sintering

The presented paper concerns the technological aspects of the interface evolution in the nickel-silicon carbide composite during the sintering process. The goal of our investigation was to analyse the material changes occurring due to the violent reaction between nickel and silicon carbide at elevated temperatures. The nickel matrix composite with 20 vol pct SiC particles as the reinforcing phase was fabricated by the spark plasma sintering technique. The sintering tests were conducted with variable process conditions (temperature, time, and pressure). It was revealed that the strong interaction between the individual components and the scale of the observed changes depends on the sintering parameters. To identify the microstructural evolution, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy were used. The silicon carbide decomposition process progresses with the extension of the sintering time. As the final product of the observed reaction, new phases from the Ni-Si system and free carbon were detected. The step-by-step materials evolution allowed us to reveal the course of the reaction and the creation of the new structure, especially in the reaction zone. The detailed analysis of the SiC decomposition and formation of new components was the main achievement of the presented paper.

Ni-SiC Composite Coatings with Good Wear and Corrosion Resistance Synthesized Via Ultrasonic Electrodeposition

Ni-SiC composite coatings with good wear and corrosion resistance could be obtained by the ultrasonic electrodeposition (UED) method in this study. The microstructure, microhardness, corrosion and abrasion resistance, and sectional composition distribution of the composite coatings were investigated employing atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), electrochemical workstation, Vickers microhardness testing, and wear testing. In addition, the statistical distributions of Ni grains in Ni coating and Ni-SiC composites were counted by using a “Nano Measurer” software. The outcome of AFM and HRTEM revealed a compact surface structure of Ni-SiC composite coating made by the UED. The mean diameter of Ni crystals was 68.4 nm, whereas that of SiC nanoparticles present within the composite was 26.7 nm. According to the XPS data, the content of Si in the Ni-SiC composite coating prepared via UED was approximately 23.7 at.% whereas that of Ni was about 46.8 at.%. The Ni-SiC composite coating deposited via UED method was found to have the largest value for microhardness (715.7 HV) compared to other coatings, although the nickel coating had a mean microhardness of 485.8 HV only. The Icorr and Ecorr values of the Ni-SiC composite coating deposited via UED were 1.13 × 10−3 mA/cm2 and − 0.311 V, respectively, indicating an optimal level corrosion resistance. Besides, the surface morphological analysis of the coating revealed that it was glossy with only minor surface scratches, and it exhibited the best resistance to wear.

Wear and hardness evaluation of electrodeposited Ni-SiC nanocomposite coated copper

In this article, Ni-SiC nano-composite coatings were fabricated using the conventional electrodeposition process, Watt's Nickel electroplating and sulfamate bath, applying on copper substrates. The goal of the present work was to improve wear resistance and hardness properties of Ni-SiC composite coatings by electrodeposition techniques. To obtain a better chemistry between SiC incorporations and Ni matrix and, afterwards, better wear resistance, the variation in the microhardness was considered as significant surface property of nanocomposites by examining the effect of various electrodeposition parameters such as, pH, temperature, current density, temperature, etc. The microhardness,778HV, and the wear resistance of the nanocomposite coatings was found to be increased with increasing content of Ni-SiC at optimised current values of 0.61A. Uniform distribution of coatings structure as cauliflower was confirmed by atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, while composition and crystallinity of Ni-SiC was confirmed by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffractometry, respectively.

Wear and hardness evaluation of electrodeposited Ni-SiC nanocomposite coated copper

In this article, Ni-SiC nano-composite coatings were fabricated using the conventional electrodeposition process, Watt's Nickel electroplating and sulfamate bath, applying on copper substrates. The goal of the present work was to improve wear resistance and hardness properties of Ni-SiC composite coatings by electrodeposition techniques. To obtain a better chemistry between SiC incorporations and Ni matrix and, afterwards, better wear resistance, the variation in the microhardness was considered as significant surface property of nanocomposites by examining the effect of various electrodeposition parameters such as, pH, temperature, current density, temperature, etc. The microhardness,778HV, and the wear resistance of the nanocomposite coatings was found to be increased with increasing content of Ni-SiC at optimised current values of 0.61A. Uniform distribution of coatings structure as cauliflower was confirmed by atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, while composition and crystallinity of Ni-SiC was confirmed by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffractometry, respectively.

The impact of weak interfacial bonding strength on mechanical properties of metal matrix – Ceramic reinforced composites

In this work the influence of weak interface between particles and matrix on mechanical properties of metal matrix – ceramic reinforced composites is studied. Firstly, the samples made of coelectrodeposited Ni-SiC composites with 10% of SiC with poor interface bonding have been prepared. Furthermore, the tensile tests of samples have been performed. The determined Young’s modulus was equal to 67 ± 8 GPa and the ultimate tensile strength to 230 ± 15 MPa. It is assumed that the very weak interface is the reason for the poor mechanical properties of the created material. In order to confirm the assumption and get the necessary parameters for the numerical model, the measurements of the normal and shear interfacial bonding strength of the interface have been performed. The measured normal interfacial bonding strength is equal to 0.1 ± 0.03 MPa and the interfacial shear strength is equal to 4.9 ± 0.2 MPa. The experimental results have been confirmed qualitatively by the computer simulations. Representative Volume Element has been created and modelled by the Finite Element Method with cohesive zone elements. The computer simulations result in the Young’s modulus values from 119 GPa up to 126 GPa.

Effect of consolidation techniques on the properties of Al matrix composite reinforced with nano Ni-coated SiC

Abstract Al /Ni-SiC composite was prepared via powder metallurgy technique. SiC particles were coated with 10 wt% nano nickel by electroless deposition, then mixed by three percents (5, 10 and 15 wt%) with Al powder in a ball mill using 10:1 ball to powder ratio for 5 h. Three types of sintering techniques were used to prepare the composite. Uniaxial cold compacted samples were sintered in a vacuum furnace at 600 °C for 1 h. The second group was the vacuum sintered samples which were post-processed by hot isostatic press (HIP) at 600 °C for 1hr under the pressure of 190 MPa. The third group was the hot pressed samples that were consolidated at 550 °C under the uniaxial pressure of 840 MPa. The results showed that the hot pressed samples have the highest densification values (97–100%), followed by the HIP samples (94–98%), then come the vacuum sintered ones (92–96%). X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) indicated the presence of Al and Al3Ni, which means that all SiC particles were encapsulated with nickel as short peaks for SiC were observed. Hardness results revealed that HIP samples have the highest hardness values. The magnetization properties were improved by increasing SiC/Ni percent, and HIP samples showed the highest magnetization parameter values.

Effects of jet rate on microstructure, microhardness, and wear behavior of jet electrodeposited Ni–SiC composites

Ni–SiC composites were prefabricated through the jet electrodeposition (JED) technique. The kinetic energy and jet rate of the electroplating liquid were studied with the ANSYS software, whereas the effects of jet rate on the microstructure, microhardness and wear behavior of the Ni–SiC composites were investigated through high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), scanning probe microscopy (SPM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Vickers hardness testing, as well as wear testing. The results demonstrated that the composite deposited at 3 m/s, displayed a compact and exiguous structure, while the average sizes of Ni and SiC were 48.7 nm and 18.2 nm, respectively. A high amount of SiC nanoparticles with the superfine structures were inlayed within the Ni–SiC composite obtained at 3 m/s. The kinetic energy of the electroplating liquid increased as the jet rate increased. The average sizes of Ni and SiC in the Ni–SiC composite prefabricated at 3 m/s, were 50.2 nm and 19.5 nm, respectively. The Ni–SiC composite produced at 3 m/s had the highest average microhardness of 886.65 HV. The Ni–SiC composite synthesized at 3 m/s exhibited the lowest friction coefficients among all Ni–SiC composites. The average friction coefficient was approximately 0.48. The worn morphology of the composite obtained at 3 m/s had a certain amount of slight scratches, while only certain low-sized pits appeared on the surfaces of the composites.

Effect of Ni content on the microstructure, thermal properties, and morphology of Ni-SiC composites produced by mechanical alloying

A mixture of nickel (Ni) and silicon carbide (SiC) powder with increasing Ni content (30%, 50%, 70% and 80%) was processed with a planetary mill to obtain a composite material capable of reducing wear and corrosion by thermal spraying. The obtained material was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) to determine its morphology, particle size and elemental composition. Additionally, X-ray diffraction (XRD) was employed for crystallographic analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were used to determine whether new phases were formed during the milling process. It was found that samples with a high nickel percentage (i.e., 70% and 80%) possessed spherical particle morphology, which is ideal for improving the fluidity of the material for use in thermal spraying.

Ni-SiC Nanocomposites Electroplating Process under Ultrasonic and Agitation

Ni-SiC nanocomposite coating was fabricated on the copper substrate by eletrodeposition technique with the aid of ultrasonic and agitation. The effects of cathodic current density, temperature, stirring rate and surfactants on the micro-hardness and deposition rate of Ni-SiC composite were studied. The optimal process parameters were determined by orthogonal test as follows: cathodic current density 5 A/dm2, suspension amount of SiC 4g/L, temperature 30°, pH 4.0, and stirring rate 200 rpm. The hardness of the films was tested by digital micro hardness tester. The surface morphology and microstructure of the films were inspected by metallographic system. The results show that, with proper ultrasonic and agitation, the surface becomes compacter and smoother, the porosity is decreased and the nickel crystalline is also refined. The hardness of the nano-composite coating is remarkably improved compared with the conventional electroforming coating.

Effect of Milling Time on the Microstructure and Tensile Properties of Ultrafine Grained Ni–SiC Composites at Room Temperature

Bulk metallic nickel-silicon carbide nano-particle (Ni-SiCNP) composites, with milling time ranged from 8 to 48 h, were prepared in a planetary ball mill and sintered using a spark plasma sintering (SPS) furnace. The microstructure of the Ni-SiCNP composites was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and their mechanical properties were investigated by tensile measurements. The TEM results showed well-dispersed SiCNP particles, either within the matrix, between twins or along grain boundaries (GB), as well as the presence of stacking faults and twin structures, characteristics of materials with low stacking fault energy. Dislocation lines were also observed to interact with the SiCNP which were plastically nondeformable. A synergistic relationship existed between Hall-Petch strengthening and dispersion strengthening mechanisms, which was shown to greatly influence the mechanical properties of the Ni-SiCNP composites. Both the maximum yield and tensile strengths were found in the Ni-SiCNP composite with a milling time of 48 h, whereas the increased rate of strengths drastically decreased in material milled above 8 h due to the significant SiCNP agglomeration. The ball milling process resulted in the formation of nano-scale, ultra-fine grained (UFG) Ni-SiCNP composites when the milling time was extended for longer periods, greatly strengthening these materials. The sharp decrease in elongation percentages, however, should be comprehensively considered before irreversible inelastic deformation. Copyright (C) 2015, The editorial office of Journal of Materials Science & Technology. Published by Elsevier Limited. All rights reserved.

Synthesis of fused mullite and its use in multifunctional nickel based composite coating

Fused mullite, a commonly used refractory material has been synthesized and adopted in the present study as reinforcement in the nickel composite coating. The composite has been developed through electrodeposition method. The thermal stability of Ni–mullite composite in terms of microhardness was studied at temperatures up to 800°C and compared with Ni–SiC, a commercialized wear resistant coating. The microhardness of as deposited electroforms was similar for both Ni–mullite and Ni–SiC composites (400Hk). A marginal decrease in the microhardness of Ni–mullite occurred at 600°C while, significant reduction was observed beyond 400°C for Ni–SiC coating. Thus, the Ni–mullite composite has higher thermal stability compared to Ni–SiC. The tribological studies showed that the wear volume loss for Ni–mullite is 2.38×10−5mm3/m while, of Ni–SiC it is 9.58×10−5mm3/m under identical conditions. The potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance showed that the corrosion resistance of Ni–mullite composite is better compared to Ni–SiC. Thus, Ni–mullite is a multifunctional coating.

ChemInform Abstract: In situ Grafted Carbon on Sawtooth‐Like SiC Supported Ni for High‐Performance Supercapacitor Electrodes.

AbstractA new C—Ni—SiC composite is prepared by hydrothermal growth of Ni(OH)2 on sawtooth‐like SiC from a mixture of SiC, Ni(NO3)2 solution, cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide, and urea (autoclave, 150 °C, 12 h) followed by calcination at 450 °C for 4 h to obtain NiO/SiC composite.

Effect of SiC concentration in electrolyte on Ni–SiC composite coating properties

In the present study, a nickel sulphate bath containing SiC particles between 0·5 and 5·0 μm has been used as the plating electrolyte to obtain Ni–SiC composites on copper surfaces with high hardness and wear resistance for using in antiwear applications such as dies, tools and working parts of automobiles. The influence of SiC concentration in the electrolyte on morphology, microhardness, friction coefficient and wear missing volume of coatings has been studied. The coatings were analysed with scanning electron microscopy as well as X-ray diffraction. The findings indicate that increasing the concentration of SiC particles in the Watts bath results in improving the microhardness of coatings and also decreasing the friction coefficient and wear missing volume. Increasing the presence of SiC particles not only decreases the grain size of Ni crystals but also changes the morphology and preference orientation of Ni crystals.

Fabrication of a micro-tool in micro-EDM combined with co-deposited Ni–SiC composites for micro-hole machining

This paper presents an in situ process using a micro-tool in micro-electro-discharge-machining combined with co-deposited Ni–SiC composites to drill and finish micro-holes. During the machining process, a micro-tool is fabricated by wire electro-discharge grinding and electrodeposition. The experimental result shows that the suitable parameters obtained for fabricating micro-tools for Ni–SiC composite coatings are a current density of 7 A dm−2, positive ring hole diameter of 5 mm, SiC particle size of 4 µm, SiC particle concentration of 10 g l−1, rotational speed of 15 rpm and surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide concentration of 150 ppm. When using this method, the micro-tool is provided with a smooth Ni layer, uniform particle distribution and suitable particle adhesion quantity. Then, circular micro-holes are machined in high nickel alloy. Scanning electron microscopy micrographs and atomic force microscopy measurements show that micro-grinding can improve the surface roughness from 1.47 µm Rmax to 0.462 µm Rmax.

Enhancement of corrosion resistance of electrocodeposited Ni–SiC composites by magnetic field

The corrosion behavior and surface morphology of Ni–SiC composite coatings produced by electrodeposition with the aid of magnetic field were studied. The results of the electrochemical analysis including polarization resistance and potentiodynamic polarization curves showed that a magnetic field of 0.1 T could significantly improve the corrosion resistance of the composite. The electrochemical impedance spectra revealed that a passive layer was formed on the surface of the Ni–SiC coating with the magnetic field. The microstructures of electrodeposited Ni–SiC composite coatings were also examined. More SiC particles were found to be incorporated into the coating with the presence of magnetic field, which was considered to be one of the reasons for the enhancement of corrosion resistance as SiC particles were reported to be corrosion inhibitors.

Electrochemical deposition and tribological behaviour of Ni and Ni–Co metal matrix composites with SiC nano-particles

Metal matrix composites reinforced with nano-sized particles have attracted scientific and technological interest due to the enhanced properties exhibited by these coatings. Ni–SiC composites have gained widespread application for the protection of friction parts in the automobile industry. The influence of variables like SiC content, current density and stirring speed on microhardness of nano-composite coatings has been studied. The improved microhardness was associated with the reduction in crystallite size determined by X-ray diffraction studies. The influence of incorporation of nano-SiC in hardened Ni–Co alloy matrix was also studied. It was observed that for 28 wt.% Co content in the matrix the microhardness was higher compared to 70 wt.% for a given nano-SiC content. This was associated to the crystal phase of Ni–28Co–SiC being fcc compared to hcp phase exhibited by Ni–70Co–SiC. The wear resistance of pure Ni, Co and nano-composite coatings was studied using pin-on-disc wear tester under dry sliding condition. The volumetric wear loss indicated that, the wear resistance of Ni–SiC nano-composite is better than that of pure nickel deposit. The wear resistance of Ni–Co composites was observed to be superior to Ni composite. The wear behaviour of Ni and Ni–28Co composite was in accordance with the Archard's law. However, the superior wear characteristic exhibited by Ni–70Co–SiC composite followed the reverse Archard's behaviour.

Effect of pulse frequency on electrodeposition behaviour of Ni–SiC composites

In the present paper, the effect of pulse frequency on electrodeposition behaviour of Ni–SiC composites was examined. Based on the impedance results of the composite, an equivalent circuit was used to describe the electrochemical system under different pulse frequencies. It was found that the simulated instantaneous peak current increased with decreasing pulse frequencies. A high peak current was known to favour nucleation and fine grain size. Experimental results revealed that the nickel grain size decreased with decreasing pulse frequency, and the volume fraction of SiC was relatively independent of pulse frequency. Microhardness and nanoindentation tests were also performed, and it was found that the hardness and the elastic modulus of the composite were dependent on the pulse frequency, and the phenomena could be explained by its change in grain size. The equivalent circuit was shown to be able to describe the coelectrodeposition system.