Title: Characterisation and determination of Ni-P coating sputtering rate

Authors: Božidar Matijević; Lidija Ćurković; Vera Rede

Addresses: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, Department of Materials, University of Zagreb, Ivana Lučića 5, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia. ' Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, Department of Materials, University of Zagreb, Ivana Lučića 5, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia. ' Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, Department of Materials, University of Zagreb, Ivana Lučića 5, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract: Electroless nickel (EN) plating coating were prepared using hypophosphite reduced EN bath at pH 4.8-5.6 and temperature 91 ± 3°C. Density of the bath were 1.04 g/cm³ and deposition rate was 18 μm/hour for plain Ni-P coatings. It enables us to obtain a coating of nickel-phosphorus containing phosphorus at 10% level. The Ni-P coating was characterised by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and glow discharge optical emission spectrometry (GDOES). Hardness is determined on a micro hardness tester using a 100 g load. The spattering rate of investigated coating was also determined by GDOES.

Keywords: Ni-P electroless coating; sputtering rate; SEM-EDX; microhardness; glow discharge OES; optical emission spectrometry; GDOES; electroless nickel plating; nickel-phosphorus coatings; phosphorus; hardness.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMMP.2011.044366

International Journal of Microstructure and Materials Properties, 2011 Vol.6 No.6, pp.479 - 485

Published online: 19 Dec 2011 *

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