Effects of deposition parameters on the microstructure and properties of Jet-electrodeposited Ni-La2O3 composite coatings

By adding La2O3 nanoparticles in the electrolyte, Ni-La2O3 composite coatings were prepared with a modified Watt’s bath by using jet electrodeposition method. The effects of process parameters on the surface morphology, phase structure, and co-deposition of La2O3 nanoparticles of composite coating were studied. The mechanical and tribological properties of the composite coating were tested. The results show that appropriately increasing the jet velocity and increasing the cathode current density can help to increase the co-deposition of nanoparticles in the coating and promote the formation of a dense and refined coating structure. Using the optimized process parameters such as current density of 80 A/dm2 and jet velocity of 10 m/s, the co-deposition of La2O3 nanoparticles in the composite coating can reach a maximum of 3.6 wt%. The hardness and the tensile strength reach their peaks at 620 HV and 1180 MPa. The wear rate of the composite coating also greatly reduces with optimized parameters.