Constant current electrodeposition preparation of nickel layer and its mechanical properties in ionic liquid

Smooth and compact nickel layers were successfully prepared in the ionic liquid of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (BMIMBF4) by constant current electrodeposition method. The effects of temperature, additive content, current density, and deposition time on the performance of the nickel layers were systematically analyzed. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to analyze the surface morphology and composition of the nickel layers. Meanwhile, the tensile strengths of the nickel layers were tested by universal tensile testing machine. The results show that different process conditions have a great effect on morphology and performance of the electrodeposited nickel layer. The optimization of process parameters is as follows: BMIMBF4 to ethylene glycol (EG) volume ratio of 2:1, deposition temperature of 120 °C, and current density of 1.2 mA·cm −2 . Current density has a greater influence on the tensile strength of the nickel layer, and the maximum value of tensile strength is 1275 MPa.