An Investigation of Electroplated Nickel (Ni) and Tungsten (W) Nano Crystalline Coatings on Mild Steel: Structural, Mechanical and Tribological Behaviour

The nano crystalline thin coating of nickel (Ni) and tungsten (W) on the surface of mild steel at different temperatures has been successfully carried out by using electroplating technique in order to enhance the mechanical properties of mild steel. The structural characteristics of mild steel were analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and X-ray Diffraction method (XRD). The mechanical properties such as hardness and surface roughness were evaluated by using digital Rockwell hardness tester and Stylus profilometer. The wear characteristics of mild steel were studied by using Pin on disc method. The coated mild steel exhibits better properties than the base metal and its promising future in different fields has been discussed. The variations in such properties of the coated mild steel were also investigated.