Formation and characterization of a nickel-quasicrystal composite produced by electroforming

The electroforming of metal matrix composites has been a research topic for more than a decade. Different types of reinforcement (e.g. SiC, Al2O3and PTFE) have been used for different purposes such as wear resistance, dry lubrication, anticorrosion and dispersion hardening. In this paper, a first attempt has been made to electroform a quasicrystal reinforced nickel matrix composite. Quasicrystals are known to possess good wear resistance, high hardness and reduced surface energy. In this paper, the volume percentage of embedded quasicrystal particles in the electro-composite was found to depend on the particle content of the electrolyte, the particle size, and the agitation speed. A maximum volume percentage 46.5% of quasicrystal particles was obtained at the current density of 8 A dm-2, particle content of 50 g l-1, agitation speed of 400 rpm, and particle size of 0.7 micron. The deposit quality of the composite coating was examined and is discussed in the paper.