Influence of Nano-Magnesium Silicate Hydroxide on Tribological Properties of Electroless Ni–P Coating

Abstract Ni–P electroless coatings are widely utilized in industrial applications due to their exceptional hardness and wear resistance. To enhance the wear resistance of Ni–P coatings and reduce the wear of counterparts, a Ni–P-MSH composite coating was fabricated successfully through the incorporation of environmentally friendly magnesium silicate hydroxide (MSH) nanoparticles. This study demonstrates that MSH significantly influences the hardness, crystal structure, and chemical composition of the Ni–P coating, offering a novel approach to performance enhancement. Results show that the wear-rate of Ni–P-MSH1 composite coating decreases by about 82.9% compared with the Ni–P coating, with its wear resistance comparable to that of the heat-treated Ni–P-AT300 coating with high hardness. Furthermore, the steel ball sliding against the Ni–P-MSH1 coating exhibited a wear-rate three orders of magnitude lower than that observed with the Ni–P-AT300 coating, highlighting the excellent lubrication performance of the Ni–P-MSH1 coating. The outstanding wear resistance of Ni–P-MSH composite coatings can be attributed to the formation of a tribofilm composed of nickel oxide and phosphate on the surface of the coatings, and this discovery lays a foundation for the development of high-performance and eco-friendly coating materials.