Investigation of the Corrosion Resistance of Copper Substrates Electrodeposited with Ni-Zn-P/B4C Nanocomposites

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Department of Chemistry, Sayyed Jamaleddin Asadabadi University, Semnan, Iran

Abstract

In the present study, nickel-zinc-phosphorus/boron carbide nanocomposite coatings were synthesized via electrodeposition from an electrolyte containing different concentrations of boron carbide as reinforcing particles, using an optimized current density of 50 mA/cm2. In subsequent investigations, the surface morphology, phase structure, and elemental composition of the coatings were conducted using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), respectively. The corrosion resistance of the fabricated coatings was evaluated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), open‑circuit potential (OCP) measurements, and Tafel‑polarization studies in a 3.5 % NaCl solution. These studies demonstrated that composite coatings with smooth and uniform surfaces have higher corrosion resistance than pure Ni-P-Zn alloy coatings, and the lowest corrosion current density and highest corrosion resistance were obtained for the coating produced from a solution containing 6 6 g/L B4C. Co‑deposition at this optimal B4C concentration yielded a uniform, defect‑free, dense microstructure, thereby enhancing the corrosion behavior of the coatings.

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