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Preparation and properties of Ni–Co–P/nano‐sized Si 3 N 4 electroless composite coatings
Author(s) -
Hu Jia,
Fang Liang,
Zhong PeiWen,
Tang AnQiong,
Yin Bo,
Li Yun
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
surface and interface analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.52
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1096-9918
pISSN - 0142-2421
DOI - 10.1002/sia.3825
Subject(s) - materials science , indentation hardness , tribology , composite number , microstructure , alloy , annealing (glass) , coating , metallurgy , composite material , nano , aluminium
Ni–Co–P/nano‐sized Si 3 N 4 composite coating was successfully fabricated on aluminum alloys by electroless plating in this work. The surface and cross‐sectional morphologies, composition, microstructure, microhardness, friction and wear behavior of deposits were investigated with SEM, EDS, XRD, Vickers hardness and high‐speed reciprocating friction, respectively. It was found that a Ni–Co–P/nano‐sized Si 3 N 4 composite coating on aluminum alloy substrate is uniform and compact. The existence of nano‐sized Si 3 N 4 particles in the Ni–Co–P alloy matrix causes a rougher surface with a granular appearance, and increases the microhardness but decreases the friction coefficients and wear rate of electroless coatings. Meanwhile, the effects of heat treatment at 200, 300, 400 and 500 °C for 1 h on the hardness and tribological properties were researched. It is revealed that both of the microhardness and tribological properties of Ni–Co–P coatings and Ni–Co–P/Si 3 N 4 composite coatings increase with the increase of heating temperature in the range of 200–400 °C, but show different behavior for the two coatings after annealing at 500 °C. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.