Strengthening effect of inclusion of ZrC nano-ceramic particles on the corrosion and wear resistance of Ni-P electroless deposits

Zirconium carbide (ZrC) nano-ceramic particles were embedded in the nickel-phosphorus (Ni-P) nanocomposite coating on the surface of N80 steel through electroless deposition strategy. The addition of ZrC can significantly affect the surface morphology, microstructure, wear resistance and corrosion resistance of the coating. Compared with pure Ni-P coating, the average friction coefficient of Ni-P/ZrC (1 g center dot L-1) composite coating decreased from 0.510 to 0.224, and the specific wear rate is reduced from 1.31 x 10-5 mm3 center dot m- 1 center dot N-1 to 2.81 x 10- 6 mm3 center dot m- 1 center dot N-1. In terms of improving the corrosion resistance of the coating, Ni-P/ZrC (1 g center dot L-1) composite coating shows a lower corrosion tendency and a higher electrochemical impedance, and its corrosion rate (4.54 x 10-3 mm center dot a- 1) is one order of magnitude lower than Ni-P coating (5.08 x 10-2 mm center dot a- 1). In addition, the longterm corrosion experiments of the samples show that the composite coating has a longer protective effect on the substrate. Through the analysis of the corrosion morphology, it is found that the improvement of the corrosion resistance of the coating is due to the addition of ZrC, which reduces the surface defects of the coating. At the same time, the labyrinth effect formed between ZrC and the coating can also slow down the corrosion rate.

Automated summary

Embedding Zirconium carbide nano-ceramic particles in a nickel-phosphorus nanocomposite coating on N80 steel surface significantly improves the coating's surface morphology, microstructure, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance. The addition of ZrC reduces friction coefficient, wear rate, and corrosion rate, providing long-lasting protection.