Zinc–nickel alloy coatings electrodeposited from a chloride bath using direct and pulse current

Zinc–nickel alloys were electrodeposited on steel from chloride bath by direct and pulse current. Some electric variables (average current density, pulse frequency, duty cycle) and some important bath conditions (ratio of Ni2+/Zn2+ in bath, temperature) on chemical compositions, current efficiency, microhardness and surface appearance of coatings were studied. At low current densities, transition from anomalous to normal co-deposition was observed for both direct and pulse current. Pulse current seems to increase brightness of the coating and to decrease the precipitation of zinc hydroxide at the cathode surface. In addition, applied pulse current increases the percentage of nickel in deposits. Pulse frequency and duty cycle had little effect on the chemical composition of deposits. The polarization curve of zinc–nickel deposition with pulse current is shifted to positive potentials in comparison with direct current curves. The temperature of the plating bath had a very strong effect on the composition of the deposits. This is primarily the result of intrinsically slow nickel kinetics. The hardness of Zn–Ni alloy coatings (approx. 220 VHN) was greater than the hardness of zinc coating (approx. 161 VHN). The hydroxide suppression mechanism for Zn–Ni co-deposition has been confirmed.