Effect of Heat Treatment on Slurry Erosion Wear Resistance of Amorphous Ni-P Electrodeposits

The slurry erosion wear resistance of heat-treated Ni-P electrodeposits was studied using a jet erosion testing machine. Except at an impact angle of 90 degrees, the erosion wear resistance of Ni-P deposits was improved by heat treatment of air quenching from 400 degrees C. Compared with AISI 304 stainless steel, the heat-treated Ni-P coating has better erosion wear resistance at an impact angle less than 45 degrees. The microstructure of Ni-P deposits was analyzed by X-ray diffraction and the results showed that the relative content of intermetallic compound Ni3P, which was precipitated during heat treatment, is vital to the hardness and the erosion wear resistance. After heat treatment, the primary wear form of Ni-P deposits was not evidently changed and was microcutting and microploughing at 30 degrees and brittle fracture at 90 degrees.