Effect of TiO2 Particle Concentration on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Ni-P-TiO2 Composite Coatings

Ferritic stainless steels are widely used in equipment, including parts in turbines, electrical industries, aerospace, automotive and decorating industries. One of the problems with this type of steels is their low wear resistance. One of the ways to overcome this problem is to apply a wear-resistant coating on the surface of steel. In this research, nickel phosphorus-titanium oxide coating was deposited onto the AISI 430 steel using electrical plating technique and the effect of TiO2 particles concentration on microstructure and wear behavior was studied. To test the abrasion resistance of the coated and uncoated samples, a pin on the disk test was used. Also the michardness was measured by Vickers microhardness device. X-ray analysis (XRD) was used to determine the available phases and calculate grain size. Characterization of the coating was performed using SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy). The results of the tests showed that the addition of titanium oxide particles causes the decrease of grain size and the increase of microhardness and abrasion resistance