Study on Magnetic-Field-Assisted Electrodeposited Ni-SiC Nanocomposites

In this investigation, nickel coating and Ni-SiC nanocomposites (NCs) were prepared on Q235 steel surfaces through a magnetic-field-assisted electrodeposition method. Microstructures, microhardness values, and compositions of the NCs were studied through digital holographic microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and x-ray diffraction. In addition, the wear and corrosion properties of the Ni-SiC NCs were tested in detailed. The nanocomposites showed uniform and compact structures prepared at 0.6 T, and the SiC and Ni particle sizes were about 42.2 and 79.9 nm, respectively. As the magnetic field strength increased from 0.3 to 0.6 T, the diffraction peaks of the nickel grains widened and the diffraction intensity decreased, indicating that the nickel grains in the Ni-SiC NC obtained at 0.6 T were refined. Comparing the three prepared composites, the microhardness of the Ni-SiC NC obtained at 0.6 T was the highest with an average value of 845.6 HV, and the mass loss was the lowest with a value of 47.2 mg. In addition, the nanocomposite showed the smallest corrosion current density of 0.36×10 −4 A/cm 2 , which corresponded to the best corrosion resistance.