The tribological behaviour of electroless Ni–P–Gr–SiC composite

doi:10.1016/j.wear.2005.09.008

Wear

Volume 261, Issue 2, 31 July 2006, Pages 201-207

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wear.2005.09.008 Get rights and content

Abstract

The tribological behaviour and wear mechanism of Ni–P–Gr (graphite)–SiC (manufactured by electroless plating) is surveyed in this paper. The worn surface, wear debris and the compositional changes that take place during wear were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive analysis of X-ray (EDAX). By comparison with Ni–P–Gr and Ni–P–SiC, the results indicate that hybrid Ni–P–Gr–SiC composite presented well anti-friction and wear resistance which is resulted from a graphite-rich mechanical mixed layer (GRMML) formed on the contact surface. Hard SiC particles mixed with GRMML played a load-bearing role at high load when relative motion occurs. After heat treatment at 400 °C for 1 h, the wear rate of the hybrid composite decreased with an increase in microhardness. During sliding, the temperature of the hybrid composite occured less change than Ni–P–SiC coating and further guaranteed the stable state of the whole wear process.

Introduction

Electroless nickel (EN) coatings have been widely applied into chemical, mechanical and electronic industries because of their good corrosion resistance and anti-wear, weldability, etc. [1]. The EN plating process has been developed into an effective technique for surface treatment. Moreover, to improve further the mechannical and tribological properties, Ni–P coating has been well-established by suitable heat treatment and as a composite coating by incorporation of hard or lubricating particles into the Ni–P matrix [2], [3], [4], [5], [6]. Composite coatings, using EN as the matrix, have been used in the surface finishing and engineering communities for many years.

It is well known, however, the coating hardness of electroless nickel composites is correspondingly decreased with the volume fraction of lubricating particles in the coating, and the friction coefficient becomes worse because of the hard particles. To solve the problem, hybrid composite coatings containing both hard and lubricating particles are focused on in recent years. Straffelini et al. [7] studied the tribological behaviour of Ni–P–PTFE–SiC composite coating. Huang et al. [8] discussed the microstructure and properties of Ni–P–PTFE–SiC. Additionally, Losiewicz et al. [9] reported the phase composition and surface microphology of an electrolytic Ni–P–TiO₂–PTFE composites for an electrochemical reaction electrode. Deng et al. [10] submitted electrodeposited Re–Ni–W–SiC–PTFE composite and their properties. Ted Guo and Tsao [11] introduced the tribological behaviour of aluminium/SiC/nickel-coated graphite hybrid composite synthesized by the semi-solid powder densification method. At the present, few studies were reported on electroless Ni–P–Cr–SiC. As we know, graphite is one of frequently used solid lubricant materials just like PTFE. Because of high electrical and thermal conductivity properties, combined with the in situ lubricating ability of these graphite-containing composites, which mix further with ceramic SiC particles, make them potential candidates for such applications as advanced high speed–high load bearing, high speed–high current electrical brushes, etc. The Ni–P matrix with SiC and graphite particles, therefore, draws special attention [12]. The investigations in process of electroless Ni–P–Gr–SiC have been conducted lately by author. It is necessary that further studies are proceeded in the friction and wear behaviour of Ni–P–Gr–SiC, especially at high load.

The friction and wear behaviour of Ni–P matrix composites with SiC and Gr particles was researched in the present work. Simultaneously, a comparison study of the Ni–P–Gr and Ni–P–SiC was conducted. The tribological properties of these materials were evaluated at high load, before and after heat treatment, respectively. The anti-friction and wear mechanism of hybrid composites will be discussed.

Section snippets

Experimental

The test materials studied in this work were prepared by electroless nickel plating. The 30 μm thick coating for each sample was deposited on φ40 × 2 mm mild carbon steel at the same process parameters and conditions. The average size of SiC and graphite was 3.5 and 4 μm, respectively. Hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (HTAB) surfactants were employed for particles dispersion and surface charge adjustment. Mechanical stirring was used to keep particles from sediment.

The hardness of these coatings

Microhardness of the coatings

The microhardness of Ni–P composites as a function of heat treatment at different temperature were shown in Fig. 2. It was observed that the microhardness of all the coatings was significantly enhanced after heat treatment and reached the maximum at 400 °C. This was due to the production of Ni₃P alloy phase which induced precipitation hardening. However, the microhardness of the four coatings had a little decrease after heat treatment at above 400 °C. This could be explained that the grains of

Conclusions

The dry friction and wear behaviour of Ni–P matrix composite with graphite and/or SiC particles was surveyed. The main conclusions can be drawn as follows: the wear resistance of the Ni–P matrix composites coincided well the microhardness of each coating. Ni–P–Gr had the lowest friction coefficient and Ni–P–SiC had the lowest wear rate. At high testing high, Ni–P–Gr–SiC presented the better anti-friction and wear resistance than other three Ni–P matrix composites. The GRMML formed on the worn

Acknowledgments

The work is financially supported by Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (No. 035211037) and Science and Technology Commission Nano Special Fund of Shanghai Municipality (No. 0352nm025).

References (13)

A. Grosjean et al.
Hardness, friction and wear characteristics of nickel–SiC electroless composite deposits
Surf. Coat. Technol.
(2001)
I. Apachitei
The effect of heat treatment on the structure and abrasive wear resistance of autocatalytic Ni–P and Ni–P–SiC coatings
Surf. Coat. Technol.
(2002)
G. Straffelini et al.
Surface durability of electroless Ni–P composite deposits
Wear
(1999)
Y.S. Huang et al.
Development of electroless Ni–P–PTFE–SiC composite coating
Surf. Coat. Technol.
(2003)
B. Losiewicz et al.
Composite layers in Ni–P system containing TiO₂ and PTFE
Thin Solid Films
(1999)
Z.-Y. Deng et al.
Pinning effect of SiC particles on mechanical properties of Al₂O₃–SiC ceramic matrix composites
J. Eur. Ceram. Soc.
(1998)

There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (66)

Mechanical and tribological characterization of deep eutectic solvent assisted electroless Ni–P-hBN coating
2023, Ceramics International
Citation Excerpt :
Inclusion of solid lubricating phases in the electroless Ni composite coating can accomplish self-lubricating wear resistant properties perfectly suitable for engineering parts operating at extremely challenging working conditions. Over the years, several researchers have incorporated graphite, Ag, MoS2, CaF2, WS2, PTFE, hBN etc. in electroless Ni–P deposits as solid lubricating phases [3–13]. Among these, hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) exhibits several interesting properties, e.g., chemical stability and inertness, high temperature oxidation resistance; low friction coefficient at elevated temperature, lubricity under both dry and wet condition [14,15].
Compositions and processing methods govern various characteristic features of electroless coatings. Electroless nickel–phosphorus (Ni–P) composite coatings containing varying amounts of hBN, deposited using a deep eutectic solvent (DES), achieved better tribological properties as compared to the coating of the same composition deposited in the conventional method. This study also attempted to determine the specific concentration of hBN particles in the electroless bath that deposits Ni–P-hBN coating with a superior combination of mechanical and tribological characteristics. Stronger bond formations of hBN particles in the Ni–P alloy matrix ensured by hBN's metallic behavior potentially influence its tribological properties.
Attractive effects of Re on electroless Ni-P-TiN nanocomposite coating
2021, Applied Surface Science
Three different types of coatings Ni-P, Ni-P-TiN and Ni-P-TiN-Re are successfully prepared on a copper substrate by electroless plating. The effects of TiN and TiN + Re addition on surface morphology, microstructure, phase composition, deposition rate, thermal stability and wear resistance are investigated. Results show that all coatings exhibit amorphous microstructures, and that Re addition can significantly increase the deposition rate based on the coating thickness. X-ray diffraction of the coating before and after annealing indicates that the addition of TiN nanoparticles to the Ni-P coating barely affects the microstructures and phase transformation behavior, while the addition of Re results in a remarkable increase in crystallization temperature. Regardless of whether it is annealed or not, the wear resistance of Ni-P coating can be significantly improved after the co-deposition of TiN or TiN + Re, and the synergy effect of Re and TiN can further enhance the improvement. These findings provide a pathway to efficiently produce Ni-P-nano TiN composite coatings with excellent performance and thus have great potential in large-scale industry applications.
Preparation and tribological research of the electrodeposited Ni[sbnd]W alloy coatings for piston ring application
2021, Surface and Coatings Technology
This study determines the effect of the electrodeposition process parameters on the composition, mechanical properties and wear resistance of NiW alloy coatings. The optimum conditions for the electrodeposition of a NiW alloy coating on a piston ring to increase resistance to wear and friction are determined. The results show that the content of tungsten (W) in the NiW alloy coatings is between 23.8 wt% and 42.2 wt%, depending on the DC current density and the concentration of the sodium tungstate in the electrolyte. The best mechanical properties are obtained for Ni-40.6 wt% W alloy that is annealed at 600 °C for 1 h. The tribological properties of the coating are determined using a pin-on-disk abrader tester under SAE 10W40 lubricated conditions. The tribological study shows that Ni-40.6 wt%W coating that is annealed at 600 °C for 1 h features a lower coefficient of friction and better anti-wear characteristics than a hard chromium coating that is currently widely used as a coating for piston rings. The resistance of a Ni-40.6 wt%W alloy coating for piston rings to wear and scratching is studied using a 125 cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled engine. The results show that the Ni-40.6 wt%W coating has good resistance to wear and scratching.
Novel electroless deposited corrosion — resistant and anti-bacterial NiP–TiNi nanocomposite coatings
2019, Surface and Coatings Technology
From acidic NiP electroless bath, the co-deposition of TiNi nanoparticles in the NiP matrix to form novel NiP-TiNi nanocomposite coatings (NCCs) on top of API X100 carbon steel using several concentrations of TiNi nanoparticles (0.2, 0.4 and 0.8 g L⁻¹ in the bath) is successfully achieved. The influence of the TiNi nanoparticles on the composition, deposition rate, thickness, and morphology of the NiP coating are investigated before and after annealing at 400 °C. The addition of TiNi nanoparticles into the NiP matrix leads to the transformation of the amorphous structure of the as-plated NiP into a semi-crystalline one. The microhardness of the composite coating significantly enhances with increasing the TiNi concentration up to 0.4 g L⁻¹ and further improvement takes place after the heat treatment. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and the colony counting method are carried out to assess the corrosion protection and antibacterial properties, respectively, of the as-deposited and the annealed coatings. The results demonstrate that there is an optimum concentration for the addition of TiNi (0.4 g L⁻¹), which offers the composite coating with the highest corrosion protection (reaches to about 98%). Below and above this concentration as well as after the heat treatment, the improvement in the corrosion protection of the composite coatings slightly decreases. Besides, the NiP–TiNi NCCs have effective antibacterial properties as the cell viability of Escherichia coli decreases from 100 to 19%.
Comparative study on the friction-wear property of As-plated, Nd-YAG laser treated, and heat treated electroless Nickel-Phosphorus/Crab shell particle composite coatings on mild steel
2019, Surface and Coatings Technology
Citation Excerpt :
Recently, a combination of solid lubricants and ceramics particles is finding preference for use with NiP matrix for providing low friction coefficient, high wear resistance, and better hardness [6]. Hence, the focus of several works which is still on reinforcing hybrid particles with NiP matrix for improvement of friction wear property [7–10] and also been a success in the past. Hybrid combinations of amorphous phase and crystalline phase were observed in crab shell particles as reported in author's previous article [11].
Nickel-Phosphorus/Crab shell particle (NiP/CSP) composite coatings were prepared with different weight dispersions of CSP (0.5 g/l, 1.0 g/l, 1.5 g/l, 2.0 g/l, 2.5 g/l and 3.0 g/l) on mild steel using electroless coating process. Fabricated coatings were post treated with heat treatment and Nd:YAG laser treatment process and followed by a comparative study on surface morphology, surface hardness, phase structure, and friction-wear property with as-plated NiP and NiP/CSP composite coatings. The result showed the relative changes in the surface morphology of NiP/CSP composite coatings after Nd:YAG laser treatment. Dendrite structure was observed for laser treated coatings and its formation was affected by the incorporation of CSP in the NiP matrix. FeNi₂P phase was formed for laser treated coatings in addition to the Ni₃P and Ni₁₂P₅ phases. Higher surface hardness of 966 Hv_0.05 and 941 Hv_0.05 was achieved for laser treated NiP and NiP/CSP composite coatings compared to the heat treatment process and as-plated condition. On comparison with various weight dispersions, higher surface hardness of 941 Hv_0.05 was obtained for NiP/CSP (2.5 g/l) composite coatings as a result of the high diffusion of Fe element from substrate to the surface. Low friction coefficient was seen for the heat treatment process followed by the as-plated and laser treatment process. The formation of FeNi₂P phase caused an increase in the friction coefficient for laser treated NiP and NiP/CSP composite coatings. However, there was an improvement in the wear resistance of laser treated coatings compared to the as-plated and heat treated coatings.
Effect of temperature on the friction and wear behavior of electroless Ni–P–MoS<inf>2</inf>–CaF<inf>2</inf> self-lubricating composite coatings
2018, Tribology International
A Ni–P composite coating with MoS₂ and CaF₂ was prepared via electroless plating. The effect of temperature on the tribological behavior of the composite coatings was investigated. The results show that the tribological behavior of coatings largely depends on the temperature. The friction coefficient shows a decreasing trend with increasing temperature; the wear rate first decreases and then increases with increasing temperature. As the temperature increases from room temperature (RT) to 200 °C and 390 °C, the wear rate decreases by one order of magnitude compared to that at RT. The composite coating exhibits stable friction coefficient during the entire sliding in the temperature range of 200–570°C. Lubricating mechanisms were discussed.