Study of electrodeposition of amorphous Sn-Ni-Fe ternary alloys from a gluconate based electrolyte

Novel Sn-Ni-Fe ternary phases, which never occur in the metallurgical alloys, were successfully prepared by deposition from an electrolyte based on sodium gluconate, using DC electrodeposition conditions. Fe-57 and Sn-119 conversion electron Mossbauer spectroscopy and PXRD investigations of these alloys showed that they are amorphous and dominantly ferromagnetic. The occurrence of amorphous Sn-Fe-Ni ternary alloy phase in deposits was found to increase with the current density applied during the deposition. The co-deposition kinetics is mainly governed by the electrodeposition behavior of the tin-gluconate complex that forms in the electrolyte. The high cathodic polarization due to the tin-gluconate discharge causes an apparent mass transfer coupled co-deposition of iron. The nickel deposition rate is independent of the potential and of the partial current of the co-depositing species. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.