Electro-deposition of oxide-dispersed nickel composites and the behavior of their mechanical properties

Oxide-dispersed nickel composites were produced by electro-deposition of nickel with various types of oxide nano-powders in a sulfamate bath. The effect of the oxide concentration in the bath on the mechanical properties of the electro-deposited composites was studied. The current efficiency of the electro-deposition process was analyzed for different types of oxide nano-powders and for in terms of the amounts embedded in the nickel (Ni) matrix. To evaluate the mechanical strength and the thermal stability, micro-hardness, tensile strength and elongation were measured at room temperature for composites that were heat-treated in a temperature range of 298 K to 1123 K. The results of the experiments showed that a higher oxide powder concentration in the bath led to a greater amount of the oxide particle co-deposited in the nickel matrix. This resulted in higher micro-hardness and improved high-temperature thermal stability. However, an inhomogeneous distribution of the co-deposited oxide powders in the composites was observed to weaken the thermal stability of their tensile strength and elongation.