Development of electroless NiBW and NiBW-hBN coatings and study of their tribological properties

Abstract

The aim of this BTech project is to develop a lubricative coating via an electroless method that can withstand its properties at higher temperatures. Wear and scratching reduce the lifespan of the components significantly. Coating applied on the substrate improves the service life. Electroless plating can create nickel-based protective coatings with excellent mechanical and tribological properties. Among the different compositions explored over the years, borohydride-reduced electroless nickel coatings have shown a lot of promise in a variety of technological applications. Hardness, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, and other physical qualities of binary NiB electroless coatings are improved by adding tungsten (W) to the matrix. Hexagonal-boron nitride (hBN) is a solid lubricant that can sustain lubricity at extremely high temperatures. Our research focuses on the use of hBN in NiB-based electroless tribological coatings. When NiBW-hBN is heat treated, it shows a considerable improvement in sliding wear and scratch resistance when compared to other coatings.