Preparation of Ag/Hf(C, N) composite powders by electroless plating

In this study, electroless plating was used to successfully create ultra-fine Ag/Hf(C, N) composite powders. The Ag layers, which were consistently and completely deposited on the surface of Hf(C, N) particles with a diameter of 5–6 μm, had an average thickness of about 200 nm. A thorough investigation was conducted into how the electroless plating conditions affected the composite characteristics. It was discovered that the AgNO₃ concentration and the plating temperature affected the thickness of Ag layer covering the Hf(C, N) particles. A notable rise in the plated layer weight was noted when the AgNO₃ concentration was increased to 35 g/L. However, weight increase was somewhat reduced when the AgNO₃ concentration was raised to 40 g/L. Silver particles were consistently deposited on the surface of Hf(C, N) at a plating solution temperature of 30 °C, creating a uniformly thick and well-encapsulated layer of silver. The Ag-coated Hf(C, N) composite powders gained 285 mg/g in weight when the ideal plating conditions were fulfilled, which include the pH of 11, plating solution temperature of 30 °C and AgNO₃ concentration 35 g/L.