Abstract:Ni-Si nano-composite coatings with various silicon contents were prepared by a modified electrodeposition process using electrolytes containing ball-milled Si/Ni particles. The effects of the concentration of the ball-milled Si/Ni particles in the electrolyte on the silicon content, structure, microhardness and corrosion behaviors of the coatings were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffractometry were used for structural characterization. Also, the microhardness and corrosion behaviors of the deposited coatings were evaluated. According to the results, the Si level reaches about 10 wt.% in the coating, which is a significant content of Si incorporation for electrodeposition. It was also found that the crystallite size of the coatings was progressively decreased and the hardness was increased, by increasing the content of Si. Typically, the crystallite size and microhardness of the Ni-10wt.%Si coating were 0.39 and 2.1 times those of the pure Ni coating, respectively. Also, the results showed that there is an optimal content of Si to meet the best acidic corrosion resistance of the coatings.

Key words: Ni-Si composite coating; electrodeposition; structure; corrosion behavior; microhardness