A comprehensive investigation of boric acid-free electrodeposition of Ni-P alloy on steel

In this study, the feasibility of depositing boric acid-free Ni-P coatings using electroplating techniques was investigated, with a focus on safety considerations. A comparison of these coatings with conventional boric acid-containing ones was conducted, examining various properties such as structure, morphology, roughness, brightness, wettability, and hardness. Notably, the absence of boric acid led to a decrease in deposition rate and increased surface roughness. However, it also promoted a higher phosphorus content in the coatings. Both conditions showed similar colors and hydrophobic behavior tendency, with the heat treatment promoting no significant change in this behavior for the boric acid-free coating. The same occurred for the mechanical properties (hardness and Young’s modulus) where no significant differences were found for either of the conditions tested. These findings demonstrate that boric acid-free coatings can retain their functional properties while addressing safety concerns associated with hazardous boric acid.