Influence of the Duty Cycle of Pulse Electrodeposition-Coated Ni-Al2O3 Nanocomposites on Surface Roughness Properties

In this study, the viability of duty cycle variation was explored as a potential method to improve the mechanical and surface roughness properties of Ni-Al2O3 nanocoatings through pulse electrodeposition. The areal and surface roughness properties of nanocomposite pulse electrodeposition-coated materials with varying duty cycles from 20% to 100% was studied with the analysis of bearing area curves and power spectral densities. Results demonstrate that with decrease in duty cycle, there was an enhancement in aerial roughness properties from 0.348 to 0.195 mu m and surface roughness properties from 0.779 to 0.245 mu m. The change in surface roughness was due to grain size variation, resulting from the varying time intervals during pulse coatings. This increase in grain size with the change in duty cycle was confirmed with the scanning electron microscope. In addition, an increase in grain size from 0.32 to 0.92 mu m with an increase in duty cycle resulted in a decrease in nanohardness from 4.21 to 3.07 GPa. This work will provide a novel method for obtaining Ni-Al2O3 nanocomposite coatings with improved surface roughness and hardness properties for wider industrial applications.

Automated summary

This study explores the potential use of duty cycle variation to improve the mechanical and surface roughness properties of Ni-Al2O3 nanocoatings through pulse electrodeposition. The nanocomposite coatings with varying duty cycles ranging from 20% to 100% were analyzed using bearing area curves and power spectral densities to assess their areal and surface roughness properties. The results demonstrate that a decrease in duty cycle leads to an enhancement in both aerial and surface roughness properties, attributed to variations in grain size caused by different time intervals during pulse coatings. The increase in grain size with changing duty cycle was confirmed with scanning electron microscopy. Furthermore, an increase in grain size with an increase in duty cycle resulted in a decrease in nanohardness. This research provides a novel method for obtaining Ni-Al2O3 nanocomposite coatings with improved surface roughness and hardness properties for wider industrial applications.