Synthesis and analysis of Ni-Co-TiN composite coating via ultrasonic vibration-assisted jet electrodeposition

To address the issues of hydrogen embrittlement and nanoparticle agglomeration that occur with coatings produced through traditional jet electrodeposition (TJE), this study introduces ultrasonic into the preparation process. Ni-Co-TiN composite coatings were successfully fabricated using ultrasonic vibration-assisted jet electrodeposition (UVAJE). The composite coatings were then characterized using techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and electrochemical analysis. The effects of TiN addition and ultrasonic on the surface morphology, mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance of the composite coatings were thoroughly examined. Similarly, coating samples prepared by TJE were used for comparative analysis with UVAJE. The results revealed that all the coatings exhibited characteristic face-centered cubic (FCC) crystal structures, and the introduction of ultrasonic and TiN directly affected the surface morphology as well as the properties of the composite coatings. Compared to TJE, the coatings produced through UVAJE demonstrated improved surface quality and overall properties. At a TiN addition equal to 4 g L -1 , the Ni-Co-TiN coating by UVAJE exhibited an evident reduction in honeycomb-like structures, resulting in increased smoothness. Under these conditions, the coating exhibited optimal properties, with 392.6±8.1 nm arithmetic mean roughness, 612.4±20.2 HV microhardness, 35.4±2.0 N adhesion strength, 214.44±5.62 MPa yield strength, 1.23±0.11 mm 3 N -1 m -1 wear rate, 1.17±0.21 μA cm -2 corrosion current density, and 1.4±0.1 mg corrosion loss.