Development and Characterization of Nickel-Based Self-Lubricating Electroless Composite Coatings Involving SiC and hBN

Abstract

Electroless deposition route can be utilized to fabricate self-lubricating composite coatings with mechanical and tribological properties suitable for industrial applications. In this study, several Ni-B-W-SiC/hBN composite coatings are fabricated with the simultaneous addition of variable amounts of both solid lubricious hBN and high-strength SiC particles in the electroless plating solution. Also, for comparison, both ternary Ni-B-W alloy and quaternary Ni-B-W-SiC composite coatings are deposited through a similar electroless route and are used as reference for the systematic investigation of composite Ni-B-W-SiC/hBN coatings containing both hBN and SiC particles. All fabricated coatings are thoroughly characterized in order to investigate their morphological and compositional features, phase structures, and tribological properties. Notably, coatings’ mechanical and tribological characteristics are determined majorly by the SiC and hBN particles added to it. The aim of this study is to propose a methodology to manufacture an electroless composite coating with improved lubrication and wear resistance by incorporating SiC and hBN particles in the coating matrix. Coatings containing hBN and SiC particles are also heat-treated in a tubular furnace (at 450 °C, 1 hr) to analyze the effect of heating on their structural and tribological properties. A significant enhancement in hardness along with wear and friction resistance achieved on heat treatment can be associated with formation of several intermetallic phases, such as Ni2B and Ni3B in the coating matrix. © ASM International 2025.