pH effect on the electrodeposition of the NiFe alloys

The behavior of the NiFe alloys has been object of intense research due to the wide number applications these materials in the industrial. Electrodeposition is one of the most used process for producing these films due to its low cost and capability to recover complex geometries. Parameters of the process such as pH, density of current, and bath composition can affect the morphology, structure and the kinetic of deposition. The aim of the present work is to study the effect of pH solution on the kinetics, composition and morphology of the films. The polarization curves and chemical analysis results show two major regions, the first one reflects the H+ reduction. Increasing polarization makes the current to vary linearly with potential (region II), and high efficiency on metal electrodeposition was observed in this part of the curves. The morphology of the films changes according to the pH solution, pH 5 the deposits are smooth and compact, in lower pH (1) the good aspect of the films is decreased and cracks are observed on the surface.