Mechanical and heat transfer behaviour of electro-deposited nickel-zirconia coating

Thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) are often applied to base metals exposed to excessive temperatures to protect them from the harsh operating thermal cycle load conditions and to enhance their functionality. For this research, nickel and zirconia was coated over a mild steel substrate by electro-deposition or co-deposition method. While selecting appropriate electro-deposition parameters, this study analyses the convection and conduction heat transfer characteristics and mechanical behaviours of a nickel-zirconia co-deposit over a mild steel substrate. The better-quality deposition is formed with thicknesses of 10 μm and 50 μm. The microstructure and morphological analyses were conducted using scanning electron microscope (SEM). The phase analysis was conducted using X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). The porosity, hardness and wear behaviours were measured as per the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). The results showed that nickel-zirconia coating has better performance. The coating's convection and conduction heat transfer potential are investigated using a specially designed and constructed experimentation apparatus. Compared to an uncoated panel, heat transfer studies on nickel-zirconia coatings demonstrate that nano-coatings with a particle size of about 92 nm show a significant temperature drop with varied coating thicknesses and heat inputs for different heat inputs. KEY WORDS: Thermal barrier coatings, Electro deposition, Conduction heat transfer, Convection heat transfer, Nickel-Zirconia Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2024, 38(5), 1439-1452. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v38i5.19