Synthesis and properties of electrodeposited Ni–CeO 2 nano-composite coatings

Current machinery requires metallic materials to have better surface properties. Based on an orthogonal experimental design and analysis method, the CeO2-reinforced nickel nano-composite coatings were prepared by direct current electrodeposition in a nickel sulfate bath containing CeO2 nanoparticles. Statistical results indicate that current density is the most significant variable in the electrodeposition processing, while temperature is the least important factor. The microstructure of Ni and Ni–CeO2 nano-composite coatings was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The microhardness of the Ni coating is enhanced by the incorporation of CeO2 nanoparticles. Potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were used to characterize the corrosion behavior of Ni and Ni–CeO2 coatings. These studies show that Ni–CeO2 coating has better corrosion resistance compared to Ni coating.