Functionally Graded Coating of Ni-Fe Fabricated by Pulse Electrodeposition

Functionally graded (FG) coatings of Ni-Fe were deposited on mild steel substrate by applying pulse electrodeposition. First, the Ni-Fe FG coatings at constant frequency by gradually reducing the pulse duty cycle in eight steps (D coatings). In these coatings, the amount of Fe was gradually decreased from the substrate/coating interface toward the top surface. Next, the frequency was changed continuously at constant duty cycle (F Coatings), where partial changes were observed in the chemical composition of the coatings. In order to assess corrosion and the tribological behavior of the coatings, potentiodynamic and pin-on-disk tests were conducted. The corrosion tests showed that the corrosion resistance of the D coatings is higher than the F coatings. In addition, increasing the pulse frequency decreased the corrosion resistance of the D coatings. Finally, the wear test results showed that reduction of frequency improves the wear resistance of the D coatings.