Effects of surfactants on the PTFE particle sizes in electroless plating Ni-P-PTFE coatings

The size and distribution uniformity of PTFE particles incorporated into Ni-P matrix has a significant effect on the morphology and antifouling properties of the Ni-P-PTFE composite coatings. In this paper five types of surfactants were used to disperse PTFE particles in plating suspensions and the effects of the surfactants on the size and distribution of PTFE particles in Ni-P-PTFE coatings were investigated The effects of the surfactants on the deposition rate and PTFE content in the electroless Ni-P-PTFE coatings were also investigated. An optimum surfactant was determined, leading to the uniform distribution of nano-PTFE particles throughout the Ni-P matrix, without using additional mechanical or ultrasonic agitation technique. The optimum ratio of the surfactant concentration to PTFE particle concentration in the plating solution and the corresponding optimum operating conditions for electroless plating Ni-P-PTFE coatings were obtained. The morphology of Ni-P-PTFE coatings was evaluated by SEM.