Properties of Zn−Bi composite coatings prepared by ionic co-discharge deposition

Abstract Zn–Bi composite was synthesized by ionic co-discharge deposition and its properties were investigated. The results show that the Zn–Bi composite with the incorporation of Bi has a finer grain size than the pure Zn coating and improves the mechanical properties. The microhardness is increased by approximately two times simply by adding a small amount of Bi electrolyte into a Zn bath solution. A lower volume loss of the Zn–Bi composite coating compared with the pure Zn coating also indicates that the Zn–Bi coating has a better wear resistance.