Fabrication of Ni-TiN nanocomposite coatings by ultrasonic assisted jet electrodeposition

Abstract

Ni-TiN composite coating is widely used as a protective coating due to its good mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. In this study, Ni-TiN nanocomposite coatings were prepared by ultrasonic-assisted jet electrodeposition. The growth mechanism and properties of the composite coatings in ultrasonic-assisted jet electrodeposition were studied. It was found that the surface morphology of the composite coating changed significantly with the increase in the concentration of nano TiN particles. Ultrasonic affects the selective orientation of the coating, and both lead to grain refinement. The addition of ultrasonic promotes the growth of (111) crystalline surfaces of the coating. Ultrasonic-assisted jet electrodeposition reduced tip discharge and nanoparticle agglomeration, and the surface quality, physical and chemical properties of the nanocomposite coating were significantly improved. The microhardness of the Ni-TiN composite coating was as high as 622.4 HV, the maximum adhesion was 27.2 N, and the corrosion resistance was the best with the corrosion current density at 1.898 μA cm−2, when the amount of nano TiN was 10 g/L. This method will provide a reference for improving the growth uniformity of jet electrodeposition.