Microstructure and Corrosion Resistance of Electrodeposited Ni-Cu-Mo Alloy Coatings

This paper deals with the electrodeposition of Ni-Cu-Mo ternary alloy coatings on low-carbon steel substrate from an aqueous citrate sulfate bath. The structures and microstructure of coatings were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and x-ray diffractometry. The corrosion resistance of coatings was investigated by potentiodynamic polarization (Tafel) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques. The results show that the Ni-Cu-Mo coatings are mainly composed of fcc-Ni phase and a small amount of NiCu phase. Ni-Cu-Mo coatings exhibit a nodular surface morphology, and the roughness of electroplated coating increases with the increasing of Na2MoO4·2H2O in the bath. The corrosion performance of the coatings is significantly affected by the Mo content of the alloy coating and their surface morphology. The coating prepared in bath containing 40 g/L Na2MoO4·2H2O has the highest corrosion resistance in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution, while that prepared in bath containing 60 g/L (or more) Na2MoO4·2H2O shows a lower corrosion resistance due to the presence of microcracks on the coating surface.