Effect of Ni content on the microstructure, thermal properties, and morphology of Ni-SiC composites produced by mechanical alloying

A mixture of nickel (Ni) and silicon carbide (SiC) powder with increasing Ni content (30%, 50%, 70% and 80%) was processed with a planetary mill to obtain a composite material capable of reducing wear and corrosion by thermal spraying. The obtained material was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) to determine its morphology, particle size and elemental composition. Additionally, X-ray diffraction (XRD) was employed for crystallographic analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were used to determine whether new phases were formed during the milling process. It was found that samples with a high nickel percentage (i.e., 70% and 80%) possessed spherical particle morphology, which is ideal for improving the fluidity of the material for use in thermal spraying.