Investigation of structural, mechanical and magnetic characterization of electroplated W deposited NiMo thin films

In the current research work, NiMo thin films were successfully co-deposited with W on the copper substrate (NiMoW) by varying the plating times like 30, 45, and 60 min at a constant current density (50 mA/cm 2 ). All the electroplated NiMoW thin films have been subjected to structural (SEM–EDS and XRD), mechanical (hardness, roughness, and corrosion), and magnetic (VSM) characterization analysis. The existence of a perfect nanocrystalline phase in the coated NiMoW thin films was found through XRD, and the average crystalline size varied from 33 to 37 nm. All the coated NiMoW thin films have a cubic (FCC) crystalline structure with an Fm -3 m (225) space group. The obtained SEM–EDS result discloses that the synthesized NiMoW thin films have uniform surface morphology with spherically shaped nanoclusters, and the film deposited at 60 min has the maximum nickel content as compared with coatings at 30 min which in turn enhance the corrosion resistance and magnetic nature of NiMoW coatings and also reveals the NiMoW thin films coated at 30 and 45 min have almost equal W and Mo content. The thickness of synthesized NiMoW thin films was found to be varied from 5 to 15 µm using Metallurgical Microscope (OIAL/MMN/MET/01). The coatings were found to be strongly adherent with a substrate (Cu) and the NiMoW coatings at 60 min exhibited the highest hardness value of 293 VHN. The electrochemical studies of NiMoW thin films explored that the coatings synthesized at 60 min exhibited the highest corrosion resistance value of 635.18 K Ω (low corrosion rate of 0.6861 mm/year). All the electroplated NiMoW coatings have an average roughness ( R a ) value of around 185 nm, and the roughness values were calculated using a profilometer. The magnetic investigation on NiMoW thin layers through VSM shows that the coatings at 60 min exhibited the nanocrystalline soft ferromagnetic nature with a lower coercivity of 106.94 Oe and saturation magnetization of 925.80 × 10 –6 emu. The analysis concluded that the NiMoW thin films coated at 60 min exhibited better mechanical and magnetic properties than coatings at 30 and 45 min of deposition time.