Mechanical electrodeposition of bright nanocrystalline nickel

A new mechanical electrodeposition technology was proposed, and nanocrystalline nickel deposit with bright and smooth surface was prepared in the bath without any additive agents. Unlike traditional methods, the novel technology employed dynamical hard particles to continuously polish the cathode surface and disturb the nearby solution during electrodepositing. Experimental results showed that the polishing effect of hard particles can effectively prevent the hydrogen bubbles and impurities from adhering on the deposit surface and avoid the production of pits, pinholes and nodules. Furthermore, comparing with the deposit prepared by traditional methods, the one prepared by the novel technology was substantially refined with grain size ranging from 30 to 80 nm. Every diffraction peak’s intensity of the deposit was reduced, the preferential orientation degree of (200) decreased and those of (111) and (220) increased. The microhardness notably increased. The magnetic properties were also changed with decreased saturation magnetization and increased coercive force. It was also found that variation of current density and cathode rotational speed could affect the structure and properties of the nickel deposits prepared by this technology.