Microstructure and oxidation-resistant of ZrO2/Ni coatings applied by high-speed jet electroplating

ZrO2/Ni composite coatings with different contents of ZrO2 particles were deposited on superalloy K17 substrate using high-speed jet electroplating process. The microhardness and microstructure of composite coatings were studied. The oxidation kinetic curves of uncoated and coated K17 alloys were obtained. The results indicated that ZrO2/Ni composite coatings exhibit higher microhardness than that of pure nickel coatings under the same high-speed jet electrodeposition conditions. ZrO2/Ni composite coatings exposure to air at 1000 °C for 5 h formed scale containing NiO and Cr2O3; after exposure to air at 1000 °C for 100 h the scale was comprised NiO, NiCr2O4, and Cr2O3. The formation of Cr2O3 scales on the ZrO2/Ni composite coating directly improved the oxidation resistance of superalloy K17.