Enhanced mechanical and corrosion protection properties of pulse electrodeposited NiP-ZrO2 nanocomposite coatings

Pulse electrodeposition is a technique of particular interest, which offers promising advantages such as ease of processing, compositional control, uniformity in structure, and grain refinement. In the present study, NiP-ZrO2 nanocomposite coatings containing various concentrations of ZrO2 nanoparticles (ZONPs) were deposited on low alloy steel (30CrMnSi) through pulse electrodeposition technique. The ZONPs in concentration of 0.0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.0 g/L were added in the electrolyte bath to obtain NiP-ZrO2 nanocomposite coatings. Furthermore, to elucidate the role of ZONPs in the NiP matrix, the structural, morphological, mechanical, and electrochemical properties of NiP-ZrO2 nanocomposite coatings were studied thoroughly. FESEM and EDX results reveal the successful incorporation of ZONPs into the NiP matrix. XRD and XPS analysis confirm the formation of a pure phase NiP structure without any noticeable defects. A considerable improvement in the mechanical response was observed with an increasing amount of ZONPs, reaching to highest values (hardness 6.7 GPa, modulus of elasticity 21.72 GPa) for NiP-1.0 ZrO2 coating composition. Similarly, the electrochemical results show a gradual increase in corrosion protection behavior of the NiP-ZrO2 coatings with increasing ZONP concentration, reaching an eventual value ~5.8 kΩ cm−2 at NiP-1.0 ZrO2 coating composition, which is six times greater than the pure NiP coatings. These improvements in the mechanical and electrochemical response of NiP-ZrO2 nanocomposite coatings highlight their suitability for applications such as oil and gas pipelines

Enhancement of mechanical and corrosion resistance properties of electrodeposited Ni–P–TiC composite coatings

In the present study, the effect of concentration of titanium carbide (TiC) particles on the structural, mechanical, and electrochemical properties of Ni–P composite coatings was investigated. Various amounts of TiC particles (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 g L−1) were co-electrodeposited in the Ni–P matrix under optimized conditions and then characterized by employing various techniques. The structural analysis of prepared coatings indicates uniform, compact, and nodular structured coatings without any noticeable defects. Vickers microhardness and nanoindentation results demonstrate the increase in the hardness with an increasing amount of TiC particles attaining its terminal value (593HV100) at the concentration of 1.5 g L−1. Further increase in the concentration of TiC particles results in a decrease in hardness, which can be ascribed to their accumulation in the Ni–P matrix. The electrochemical results indicate the improvement in corrosion protection efficiency of coatings with an increasing amount of TiC particles reaching to ~ 92% at 2.0 g L−1, which can be ascribed to a reduction in the active area of the Ni–P matrix by the presence of inactive ceramic particles. The favorable structural, mechanical, and corrosion protection characteristics of Ni–P–TiC composite coatings suggest their potential applications in many industrial applications

Corrosion and heat treatment study of electroless nip-ti nanocomposite coatings deposited on hsla steel

Corrosion and heat treatment studies are essential to predict the performance and sustainability of the coatings in harsh environments, such as the oil and gas industries. In this study, nickel phosphorus (NiP)–titanium (Ti) nanocomposite coatings (NiP-Ti nanoparticles (TNPs)), containing various concentrations of Ti nanoparticles (TNPs) were deposited on high strength low alloy (HSLA) steel through electroless deposition processing. The concentrations of 0.25, 0.50 and 1.0 g/L TNPs were dispersed in the electroless bath, to obtain NiP-TNPs nanocomposite coatings comprising different Ti contents. Further, the effect of TNPs on the structural, mechanical, corrosion, and heat treatment performance of NiP coatings was thoroughly studied to illustrate the role of TNPs into the NiP matrix. Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX) results confirm the successful incorporation of TNPs into the NiP matrix. A substantial improvement in the mechanical response of the NiP matrix was noticed with an increasing amount of TNPs, which reached to its ultimate values (hardness 675 Hv, modulus of elasticity 18.26 GPa, and stffness 9.02 kN/m) at NiP-0.5TNPs coatings composition. Likewise, the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements confirmed a tremendous increase in the corrosion inhibition efficiency of the NiP coatings with an increasing amount of TNPs, reaching ~96.4% at a composition of NiP-0.5TNPs. In addition, the NiP-TNPs nanocomposite coatings also unveiled better performance after heat treatment than NiP coatings, due to the presence of TNPs into the NiP matrix and the formation of more stable (heat resistant) phases, such as Ni3P, Ni3Ti, NiO, etc., during the subsequent processing.This publication was made possible by Qatar University Research Grant-IRCC-2020-006. The findings achieved herein are solely the responsibility of the authors

Development and characterization of nickel phosphorus based nanocomposite coatings for corrosion protection of steel

Corrosion is the major challenge faced by many industries like marine, automobile, oil and gas industry, etc. Nickel Phosphorus (Ni-P) based coatings are extensively studied to mitigate corrosion due to their improved corrosion resistance. However, these coatings lack mechanical strength limiting their applications. In the present study, novel Ni-P-X (X=TiC (titanium carbide) and ZrC (zirconium carbide)) were developed through the electrodeposition process. Various amounts of titanium carbide TiC nanoparticles (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 g/L) and ZrC nanoparticles (0, 0.75 and 1.5 g/L) were co electrodeposited in the Ni-P matrix under optimized conditions and then characterized by employing various techniques. It is noticed that the concentration of reinforcing ceramic particles has a significant on the structural, mechanical, tribological, and electrochemical properties of Ni-P nanocomposite coatings. The structural analysis of both types of prepared nanocomposite coatings indicates uniform, compact, and nodular structured coatings without any noticeable defects. Vickers microhardness and nanoindentation results of Ni-P-TiC nanocomposite coatings demonstrate the increase in the hardness with an increasing amount of TiC nanoparticles attaining its terminal value (5.98 GPa) at the concentration Corrosion is the major challenge faced by many industries like marine, automobile, oil and gas industry, etc. Nickel Phosphorus (Ni-P) based coatings are extensively studied to mitigate corrosion due to their improved corrosion resistance. However, these coatings lack mechanical strength limiting their applications. In the present study, novel Ni-P-X (X=TiC (titanium carbide) and ZrC (zirconium carbide)) were developed through the electrodeposition process. Various amounts of titanium carbide TiC nanoparticles (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 g/L) and ZrC nanoparticles (0, 0.75 and 1.5 g/L) were co-electrodeposited in the Ni-P matrix under optimized conditions and then characterized by employing various techniques. It is noticed that the concentration of reinforcing ceramic particles has a significant on the structural, mechanical, tribological, and electrochemical properties of Ni-P nanocomposite coatings. The structural analysis of both types of prepared nanocomposite coatings indicates uniform, compact, and nodular structured coatings without any noticeable defects. Vickers microhardness and nanoindentation results of Ni-P-TiC nanocomposite coatings demonstrate the increase in the hardness with an increasing amount of TiC nanoparticles attaining its terminal value (5.98 GPa) at the concentratio

Novel Method for the production of Water from Humid Environment of Qatar

Water scarcity is the major challenge of the upcoming decades for the entire world. Middle eastern nations are prone to water scarcity due to very less rainfall, scarce fresh water sources, sandy surrounding and harsh humid climatic conditions. Qatar being the leader of natural gas production suffers from the same problem of pure and clean water. Water desalination techniques adopted so far are energy intensive and infidel to oceanic habitat. The use of vapor compression cycle for the condensation of atmospheric water vapor has various limitations such as complex machinery, high power consumption and periodical maintenance. This novel method utilizes heavy humid conditions of Qatar to obtain water from the atmosphere through Peltier effect. This method uses the dissimilarity of the conductors in the electric circuit such that when the current is made to flow through the circuit the heating and cooling effects are generated at the junctions where cooling temperature of the junction can be achieved below the dew point temperature thus forming the dew which is collected in the closed container as condensed atmospheric water. This technique is superior to other conventional methods of water production due to its cost efficient, energy saving, simple machinery and portability of the entire system

Enhanced electrochemical and mechanical performance of BN reinforced Ni-P based nanocomposite coatings

Adequate corrosion protection and improved mechanical properties are necessary requirements to overcome operational costs in the industries. Ni-P based coatings are known to possess better superior corrosion resistance than its counterparts. Boron Nitride nanoparticles (BNNPs) are well known refractory material with higher hardness and chemically inert nature suitable for reinforcement. In the current investigation, the effect of incorporation and increasing concentration of BNNPs in Ni-P matrix in thoroughly investigated in terms of mechanical and electrochemical performances. Successful incorporation of BNNPs within the Ni-P matrix was achieved by employing tailored Watts bath and optimized deposition parameters. The addition and increment of BNNPs reveal a significant impact on the characteristics of pure Ni-P coatings. Improvement in the structural, morphological, mechanical and corrosion behavior of BNNPs reinforced nanocomposite coatings can be ascribed to uniform incorporation of BNNPs in the deposit leading to the dispersion hardening effect that enhances strength to the coating improving surface hardness up to 58 % in comparison to pure Ni-P coating. Moreover, reduction in the active area caused by inert BNNPs leads to the improvement in corrosion resistance properties with protection efficiency (PE%) reaching up to 95 % for Ni-P-1.5 g/L BN nanocomposite coating in comparison to the bare mild steel substrate. BNNPs reinforced Ni-P based nanocomposite coatings provide a possible choice for their application in many industries like in the aerospace, automotive, marine, oil and gas industry.The present work is supported by Qatar University Grant-IRCC-2020-006 and IRCC-2022-491. The opinions expressed in this article are solely the responsibility of the authors. The authors acknowledge the services of Central Laboratory Unit (CLU), Qatar University for Microstructural analysis (FE-SEM/EDS). XPS facility of Gas Processing Center (GPC), Qatar University, was utilized to study compositional analysis. Open Access funding is provided by the Qatar National Library

Synthesis and characterization of Ni-P/TiC composite coating through one step co-electrodeposition

Coatings are considered to be promising solution for the corrosion and wear in various industries.NiP coatings are well known for their anticorrosive behavior but lack mechanical strength. In present study, the effect of sub microscale TiC particles on the structural, morphological , mechanical and electrochemical analysis of Ni-P/TiC coating were carried out through X-ray diffraction(XRD), Scanning Electron microscopy(SEM), Atomic Force Microscopy(AFM), Vickers microhardness, nanoindentation and potentiodynamic polarization test on Gamry. Co-electrodeposition of the Ni-P/TiC with varying the composition of TiC namely 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0g/L. The depostion conditions were optimized for pH, temperature and current density. The surface morphology of coat represents nodular structure with TiC particles embedded in it without any defects. Structural analysis proves the amorphous nature of the coating. Vickers microhardness is observed to increase with the composition and attains highest value at 1.5g/L of TiC in the chemical bath. Nanoindentation results are in agreement with the hardness result. Thus, improvement in mechanical properties of the Ni-P coating is achieved without affecting its corrosion resistance

Effect of cold and hot compactions on corrosion behavior of p- and n-type bismuth telluride-based alloys developed through microwave sintering process

Bismuth Telluride (BiTe) based p-type and n-type alloys exhibit superior thermoelectric (TE) performance covering energy requirements for specialized and home utilization. The main challenge nowadays is the sustainability of their adequate TE performance in corrosive environments, which might activate the corrosion reactions, leading to the degradation of p/n semiconductors, and then failure of the TE device. This study investigates the electrochemical responses of cold and hot compacted, microwave-sintered p- and n-type BiTe alloys in a saline medium (3.5 wt% NaCl solution). XRD analysis of microwave-sintered cold- and hot-compacted BiTe pellets confirmed their phase purity and uniform crystal structure. Potentiodynamic polarization (PDP) and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) data showed enhancements in the corrosion behavior of hot-compacted p-type and cold-compacted n-type BiTe pellets. The study also proposes a corrosion resistance mechanism with an equivalent electrical circuit (EEC) to fit the experimental EIS data of both BiTe pellets. FE-SEM analysis showed visible microstructural evolutions of the BiTe pellets and their passive films. It revealed a remarkable improvement in the microstructure and blocking effect caused by the formed passive films coating the surfaces of the pellets and acting as a physical barrier preventing the passing of destructive Cl- ions. EDX spectra have proved the presence of p-type and n-type BiTe alloys, each with the corresponding dopant element of Antimony (Sb) or Selenium (Se), respectively, and in the same weight compositions for either hot or cold compacted pellets. AFM analysis examined the surface topography of developed pellets. It showed an increment in the surface roughness-mean-square (RMS) values with the development of passive films on p- and n-type BiTe alloys.This work was supported by Qatar University Grant no. GTRA-17722. The statements made herein are solely the responsibility of the authors. The authors would like to acknowledge the technical support from the Central Lab Unit (CLU) and the Center of Advanced Materials (CAM) at Qatar University. Open Access funding is provided by the Qatar National Library

Microstructure and mechanical properties of aluminum matrix composites with bimodal-sized hybrid NbC-B4C reinforcements

Aluminum (Al) is an earth-abundant metal recognized with superior properties for vital applications in the aerospace and transportation industries. Structural components of Al exhibit poor performance due to its inherent low mechanical strength. In this work, the mechanical properties of Al are enhanced by reinforcing with bimodal micron-sized Niobium Carbide (NbC) and nano-sized Boron Carbide (B4C) ceramic particles. Al-NbC-B4C hybrid composites have been synthesized via ball milling followed by cold compaction and microwave sintering. NbC micro-reinforcement composition has been kept fixed (5 wt%), while B4C nano-reinforcement composition varied from 0.5 wt%, 1.0 wt%, 1.5 wt%, and 2.0 wt%. XRD patterns revealed the high crystallinity with no detected new phases formed in the sintered composites. TEM micrographs presented the microstructure evolutions with uniform distribution of (micron + nano) hybrid bimodal-sized ceramic reinforcements in the Al matrix. FE-SEM micrographs and corresponding elemental mapping demonstrated the homogeneity in the elemental distribution of synthesized Al-NbC-B4C composites through the ball milling and microwave sintering processes. Roughness values and AFM images showed the formation of insoluble secondary phases dispersed in the Al matrix enhancing its surface resistance towards localized plastic deformations. Al-5 wt%NbC-2.0 wt%B4C composite has exhibited an ultrahigh improvement in the mechanical properties compared to pure Al. It showed enhancements in microhardness (46%), nanohardness (54%), and Young’s modulus (31%). It also showed high ultimate compression strength of 328 MPa and a low engineering failure strain of 0.64. FE-SEM compressive fractography confirmed the strengthened dispersion hardening effect from bimodal-sized ceramic particles obstacle multi-length cracks and resisting fracture failure.This work was supported by Qatar University Grant no. GTRA-17722. The statements made herein are solely the responsibility of the authors. The authors would like to acknowledge the technical support from the Central Laboratory Unit (CLU) at Qatar University. Open Access funding is provided by the Qatar National Library

Synthesis and Characterization of Ni-P-Ti Nanocomposite Coatings on HSLA Steel

Nickel Phosphorus (Ni-P) coatings possess tailored mechanical, and anticorrosion properties and have found applications in industries like automotive, oil and gas, electronics, and aerospace. Their properties can further be enhanced by incorporating nanoparticles into their (Ni-P) matrix. In the present study, Ni-P-Ti nanocomposite coatings have been developed on high strength low alloy steel (HSLA) through electroless deposition technique. For this purpose, various concentrations of titanium (Ti) nanoparticles are used in the deposition bath containing 0.0g/L, 0.25g/L, 0.5g/L, 0.75g/L, and 1.0g/L nanoparticles. XDR, SEM, microhardness, and nanoindentation have been carried out to elucidate the role of Ti nanoparticle concertation on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the Ni-P-Ti composite coatings. XRD and EDX results confirm the incorporation of nanoparticles into the Ni-P matrix during deposition processing. SEM and AFM results exhibit the formation of a dense, uniform coating without any observable defects. An increase in the mechanical properties of the Ni-P matrix was observed by the addition of Ti nanoparticles. Superior mechanical properties were shown by the samples containing 0.5g/L Ti nanoparticle concentration. Improvement in the structural, as well as mechanical properties of Ni-P matrix by the addition of Ti, confirms the suitability of Ni-P-Ti composite coatings for various engineering applications