Influence of electrodeposition parameter control on morphology, hardness, and wear behavior of nickel coatings on electrolytic copper
Verenice Andrade Costa, Maria Aparecida Pinto, Elaine Carballo Siqueira Corrêa, Nayara Aparecida Neres da Silva, Taíse Mate Manhabosco
Abstract
This study investigates the electrodeposition of nickel coatings using a nickel sulfate-based electrolyte, aiming at applications in the steel industry, particularly in the protection of molds employed in the continuous casting of steel. The microstructure and, consequently, the functional properties of the coatings are strongly influenced by the electrodeposition parameters. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of deposition conditions on the morphology and wear resistance of the coatings, through a comparative analysis of two distinct experimental setups. Structural characterization revealed that processing under extreme parameters (Condition 1) resulted in morphological heterogeneity, characterized by the formation of nodular aggregates distributed across both the periphery and the central regions of the coating surface. The hardness values for Conditions 1 and 2 were 405.8 ± 58.8 HV and 377.6 ± 42.2 HV, respectively. Similarly, the wear track volumes were (4.55 ± 0.63) × 10−3 mm3 for Condition 1 and (4.90 ± 0.68) × 10−3 mm3 for Condition 2. Both the hardness and wear volume data exhibit trends that fall within the margins of measurement uncertainty. Despite a nominal increase in mechanical performance, the overlapping uncertainty intervals suggest no statistically significant difference between the conditions. These findings underscore the necessity of precise electrodeposition parameter control to ensure coating reliability in industrial applications.
Keywords
References
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Submitted date:
10/23/2025
Accepted date:
02/18/2026
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