Improvement in Properties of Mild Steel by Electrodeposition of Ni-Zn-Cu Alloys at Different Cu Contents

In this study, the effect of copper concentration was investigated on phase structure, morphology, and mechanical properties of Ni-Zn-Cu alloys coating. Ternary Ni-Zn-Cu alloys were prepared and deposited on a mild steel substrate by electrochemical deposition method. Four different baths were prepared by varying Cu concentration. The deposition was carried out for 20 min with constant current density of 20 mAcm-2 with pH of 3 under constant magnetic field of 4.5 mT to make the coating smooth. Crystal structure, surface morphology, hardness and mechanical properties of investigated alloy coatings were characterized. The results showed that crystal structure of the all the deposited alloys is face centered cubic. The lattice parameter is decreasing and morphology of the alloys changes from large nodules to smaller nodules with the increase in Cu concentration. Mechanical properties of substrate are improved by deposition of Ni-Zn-Cu alloys and thus mild steel will become more applicable in tooling, construction and transportation industries.