Fabrication and wear property of NiCo coated ZrO2–Al2O3 ceramic particles reinforced high manganese steel-based composites

In this work, the nickel-cobalt layer was used as a medium to improve the interfacial bonding of ZrO2–Al2O3 particles (ZTAP) reinforced high manganese steel-based composites. The nickel-cobalt layers on the surface of ZTAP ceramics are prepared by electroless deposition in the sulfate solutions. The formation mechanism, morphology evolution and elemental composition of the NiCo coating were investigated by varying the plating temperature, plating time and sulfate concentration. The NiCo grain size increases, and the coating thickness increases and then decreases with CoSiO4 concentration. A dense and uniform nickel-cobalt coating could be obtained after plating with 25 g/L CoSiO4 at 80 °C for 10 h. NiCo coated ZTAP ceramics reinforced high manganese steel matrix composites were fabricated using non-pressure casting infiltration. The results showed that NiCo improves the bonding property of composites causing a tighter and cleaner interface compared with severe defects of cracks, delaminations and holes on the interface of composites without NiCo coating. The effects of NiCo coating on tribological properties of the composites were clarified by the three-body abrasive wear. The superior interfacial bonding of composites assisted with NiCo coating exhibited excellent abrasive wear resistance, which increases by 230%. •A nickel-cobalt coating on the ZTAP surface was prepared utilizing electroless deposition.•The deposition mechanism of NiCo coating on the ZTA ceramics was clarified.•NiCo coating could effectively improve the interface bonding property of composite.•The NiCo coating was a key factor in enhance abrasive wear resistance of composites.