Effect of Electrodeposition Parameters on Chemical Composition, Cathodic Current Efficiency, Hardness and Morphology of Zn-Ni Alloy Coatings

Zn–Ni alloy coatings were electrodeposited from acidic sulphate baths. In this study, the effect of plating parameters and bath composition on the cathodic current efficiency, as well as hardness, morphology and chemical composition of the coatings were investigated. The morphology and chemical composition of the coatings were investigated using scanning electron microscopy equipped with EDAX analyzer. Results showed that surface morphology and chemical composition of the films were strongly dependent on the electrodeposition parameters. Ni content and hardness of the coatings were increased and the cathodic current efficiency was decreased by enhancing the bath temperature and Zn (II)/Ni (II) ratios, or reducing the current density and bath pH. Electron microscopy images showed that cracks appeared on the coatings surface with increasing temperature due to the high residual stress. In addition, the structure of the coatings became finer with increasing the current density, resulting in the formation of voids and porosities. Studies on the bath pH revealed that only the coatings which were deposited in baths with pH=2 had a dense and uniform surface. Moreover, increasing the Zn (II)/Ni (II) ratios in the bath caused brittleness of the coatings.