Analysis and interpretation of the micromechanical properties measurements of electrodeposited nickel coatings on different substrates

Authors

  • Jelena Srecko Lamovec University of Criminal Investigation and Police Studies
  • jovana Djorović Amanović University of Criminal Investigation and Police Studies
  • Ivana Mladenović ICTM-Department of Microelectronic Studies, University of Belgrade
  • Nebojša Nikolić ICTM-Department of Electrochemistry, University of Belgrade
  • Dana Vasiljević Radović ICTM-Department of Microelectronic Studies, University of Belgrade
  • Vesna Radojević Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade

Keywords:

Vickers microhardness, composite hardness, nickel electrodeposition, film adhesion, critical reduced depth

Abstract

Fine-grained nickel coatings were electrodeposited by direct current (dc) regime onto different substrates: polycrystalline cold-rolled copper, polycrystalline brass and single crystal (100)-oriented silicon. These composite structures belong to different type of laminated composite systems. The influence of the substrate material and coating plating parameters on microstructural and mechanical properties, such as hardness and adhesion, was characterized by the Vickers microindentation test for different loads. Above critical indentation depth (usually around 10% of the coating thickness), the measured hardness is so-called “composite hardness”, because the substrate participates in the plastic deformations during indentation. Three composite hardness models (Korsunsky, Chicot-Lesage and Chen-Gao), constructed on different principles, were chosen for fitting the experimental results in order to determine the coating hardness and the critical reduced depth as the adhesion parameter. The coating hardness is mainly influenced by the current density, because increase in current density leads to decrease in grain size and increase in coating hardness. The critical reduced depth as the parameter of adhesion depends on the substrate material.

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Published

2020-11-27

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Innovative Techniques and Equipment in Forensic Engineering