Tribological performance of Ni-CeO2 composite coatings by electrodeposition

Ni-CeO2 composite coatings were developed by electrodeposition method from a nickel sulfamate solution containing CeO2 particles. The content of codeposited CeO2 in the composite coatings was controlled by the addition of different CeO2 particles concentrations in the solution. The tribological performance of Ni-CeO2 composite coatings and pure Ni coating were comparatively investigated sliding against AISI 1045 steel under non-lubricated condition, with the effect of the CeO2 content on the friction and wear behaviors of the composite coatings to be emphasized. The present study shows that the codeposited CeO2 particles in deposit decrease the friction coefficient and reduce the wear weight loss. Moreover, the friction and wear behaviors of Ni-CeO2 composite coatings are closely related with CeO2 content. Namely, the composite coating with a lower CeO2 content of 2.3 wt.% shows somewhat increased wear resistance than the pure Ni coating, while the composite coating with a higher CeO2 content has much better wear resistance than the pure Ni coating.