Mechanical and corrosion resistance properties of TiO2 nanoparticles reinforced Ni coating by electrodeposition

Coatings have been widely used in engineering and decoration to protect components and products and enhance their life span. Nickel (Ni) is one of the most important hard coatings. Improvement in its tribological and mechanical properties would greatly enhance its use in industry. Nanocomposite coatings of metals with various reinforced nanoparticles have been developed in last few decades. Titania (TiO2) exhibit excellent mechanical properties. It is believed that TiO2 incorporation in Ni matrix will improve the properties of Ni coatings significantly. The main purpose of the current work is to investigate the mechanical and anti-corrosion properties of the electroplated nickel nanocomposite with a small percentage of TiO2. The surface morphology of nanocomposite coating was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The hardness of the nanocoating was carried out using micromaterials nanoplatform. The sliding wear rate of the coating at room temperature in dry condition was assessed by a reciprocating ball-on-disk computer-controlled oscillating tribotester. The results showed the nanocomposite coatings have a smoother and more compact surface than the pure Ni layer and have higher hardness and lower wear rate than the pure Ni coating. The anti-corrosion property of nanocomposite coating was carried out in 3.5% NaCl and high concentrated 35% NaCl solution, respectively. The results also showed that the nanocomposite coating improves the corrosion resistance significantly. This present work reveals that incorporation of TiO2 in nickel nanocomposite coating can achieve improved corrosion resistance and mechanical properties of both hardness and wear resistance performances, and the improvement becomes stronger as the content of TiO2 is increased.