Electrodeposition of copper-nickel alloys from a citrate bath containing boric acid

Copper-nickel alloys have been electrodeposited on steel substrates from a bath containing copper sulphate, nickel sulphate, sodium sulphate sodium citrate and boric acid. Galvanostatic cathodic polarization, cathodic current efficiency and composition of the alloys were studied as influenced by bath composition, current density and temperature. The bath is characterized by high cathodic current efficiency. Current density is found to strongly influence the composition of the deposits. At low current densities (lower than a certain transition current density), a copper-rich alloy is deposited with copper (the more noble metal) being the preferentially deposited metal. Ar larger current densities, nickel becomes the nobler metal and is deposited preferentially The magnitude of the transition current density depends upon the bath composition and temperature. The structure and surface morphology of the as-deposited alloys were examined by XRD and SEM. The results reveal the presence of a single solid solution phase with face centred cubic structure. The morphology of the deposits is mainly controlled by the alloy composition.