Surface mechanical behaviour of composite Ni–P–fly ash/zincate coated aluminium alloy

Ni–P–fly ash coatings were produced on zincate coated 5083 wrought aluminium alloy substrates with the aid of an electroless deposition technique. Structural and chemical characterization of the produced coatings was performed with the aid of X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron dispersive X-ray analysis (EDS) techniques. The Ni–P–fly ash coating was found to consist of an amorphous Ni–P matrix with dispersed fly ash particles. The wear resistance of the Ni–P–fly ash coating on zincate treated aluminium alloy was observed to be higher than that of the bare aluminium alloy, when sliding against a stainless steel counterface. In addition, the adhesion between the Ni–P–fly ash/zincate coating and the aluminium alloy substrate was also studied with a scratch testing apparatus. The adhesion strength of Ni–P–fly ash/zincate coating on the aluminium alloy substrate was observed to be higher in comparison to the Ni–P/zincate coating on the same aluminium alloy.