Fabrication and characterization of Ni–SiC–Cr nanocomposite coatings

Ni–Cr, Ni–SiC and novel Ni–SiC–Cr composite coatings were electrodeposited on pure copper samples from a Watt’s nickel electroplating bath containing chromium and silicon carbide nanoparticles with an average particle size of 50 nm. The coatings composition, crystalline structure and surface morphology were studied by X-ray diffractometry, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy. The results indicate that Ni–SiC–Cr hybrid composite films with an acceptable homogeneity having 8.1 and 5.4 % vol. SiC and Cr nanoparticles were developed successfully. The incorporated SiC and Cr particles in Ni–SiC–Cr composite layer effectively increased the microhardness and wear resistance due to grain refining strengthening, changing the columnar grain structure of nickel matrix to a granular structure and crystalline preferred growth direction from (100) to the close-packed (111).