ABSTRACT
An investigation has been undertaken to study the properties of co-electrodeposited Ni/Si3N4 composite coatings. As a preliminary study, the effect of Si3N4 powder concentration variation (10–30 g/L) on Ni/Si3N4 composite coating properties was investigated. The surface morphology and structure were characterized by using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction, respectively. The coating hardness was tested by using the Vickers hardness test. The results showed that coating morphology and structure were improved as Si3N4 concentration increased and eventually enhanced coating hardness. The results showed that Si3N4 particles were successfully co-electrodeposited to form a Ni/Si3N4 composite coating. The coating surface was compact and no microcracks were observed. It was found that Si3N4 particles were dispersed and crystalized within the composite. In general, the increase in Ni/Si3N4 composite coating hardness was due to Si3N4 particle dispersion and Ni grain refining.
