Influence of the current density on the properties of electrodeposited Ni-W- Ti2AlC composite coatings

In this work, Ni-W-Ti2AlC composite coatings with anti-wear and anti-corrosion abilities were prepared using direct current electrodeposition. The study primarily focuses on the influence of different current densities on the structure and properties of Ni-W-Ti2AlC composite coatings. The microstructural, mechanical properties, and electrochemical performances were studied by using SEM, XRD, EDS, and Tafel polarization techniques. The results indicated that Ti2AlC is successfully co-deposited into the Ni-W coating, and the average grain size of the Ni-W-Ti2AlC composite coating is 15.2 nm. The significant improvement in hardness, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance of Ni-W-Ti2AlC composite coating is attributed to the effects of solid solution strengthening and the uniform distribution of the microstructure. The suitable current density has a great influence on the properties. The microhardness of Ni-W-Ti2AlC composite coatings was increased by 99.59% at a current density of 5 A dm−2 compared to 3 A dm−2. At the same time, the friction coefficient decreased by 13.89%.