Electrodeposition of Zn-Ni-Al2O3 nanocomposite coatings under ultrasound conditions

The Zn-Ni-Al2O3 nanocomposite coatings with high nano-alumina content and uniformly dispersed nano-alumina particles were fabricated using eletrodeposition technique with the aid of ultrasound. The properties of nanocomposite coatings were investigated by SEM, electrochemical technique, and Vickers hardness tester. The results demonstrate the anticorrosion properties and the hardness of Zn-Ni-Al2O3 composite coatings fabricated under the ultrasonic vibration were improved significantly as compared to the Zn-Ni alloy. The properties were not only related to the nano-alumina content in the composite coating, but also related to the dispersion and combination state of nano-alumina particles in the matrix. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.