Magnetically induced electrodeposition of Zn-Ni alloy coatings and their corrosion behaviors

The less magnetic features of Zn-Ni alloy compared to Fe-Ni and Fe-Co alloys made it interesting to develop them under the influence of applied magnetic field. In this regard, the effects of a magnetic field (B) applied in a direction parallel and perpendicular to the nominal current, during electrodeposition process of Zn-Ni alloy have been investigated by means of X-ray diffraction and EDX analysis. The modification of crystal orientation by superimposition of a varying magnetic field is studied for alloys of constant nickel content (8 a %.), deposited at optimal current density (j) of 3.0 A dm(-2). The effect of magnetic field on crystallographic orientation and hence the corrosion behaviors of the coatings were studied. The preferential orientations (101) and (002) of the zinc phase and (330) gamma-Ni5Zn21 phase are always favored to exist with parallel and perpendicular magnetic field. The preferential (321) gamma-Ni5Zn21 orientation is found to be the characteristic of perpendicular magnetic field. Further, Zn (100) orientation is found to be non-responsive to the effect of parallel magnetic field. The coatings developed using perpendicular magnetic field is more corrosion resistant compare to that for parallel magnetic field. This is attributed to the additional (321) gamma-Ni5Zn21 orientations. The changes in the phase structure of the coatings deposited at different magnetic field are attributed to the effect caused by the magnetic convection induced in the electrolytic solution, called MHD effect (magneto-hydrodynamic effect). The chemical composition of the alloy was found to be same in both natural and magnetically induced deposition due to constant Ni content in the bath. The variation in the surface morphology of the coatings was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The Zn-Ni alloy coating deposited at 0.8 T perpendicular B showed the highest corrosion resistance (with corrosion rate=0.26 x 10(-2) mm y(-1)) compared to the one with no B (corrosion rate=14.46 x 10(-2) mm y(-1)). The improved corrosion resistance of the coatings was discussed in the light of magnetic field effect on crystallographic orientation. (c) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.