Surface Characterization, Mechanical Properties, and Corrosion Behavior of Zn-Ni Alloy Coated Steel Using Electroplating-Hot-Dip Galvanizing

Abstract

In this study, the processing of zinc-nickel alloys with an electroplated nickel layer as the first layer followed by hot-dip galvanizing on plain carbon steel (St37) is investigated. The effect of the nickel layer and the effect of the immersion time on the alloy layers of the coating obtained by this method are studied. In addition, some properties of the obtained coating, such as the overall thickness, hardness, surface uniformity, coating adhesion strength, and corrosion resistance, were investigated using the optical microscope, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectrometer analysis, and potentiostat. The results show that the 16-min immersion time is the optimum galvanizing time at which an alloy with a nickel content of 0.11 wt% is formed and that the overall thickness of the galvanized sheet, especially the alloy layers, decreases compared to the pure zinc sheet. In addition, a more ductile, corrosion-resistant, and smoother surface is obtained.