Fabrication of Zn-Ni Alloy Coatings from Acid Chloride Bath and its Corrosion Performance

Optimization of acidic chloride bath containing triethanolamine and citric acid for deposition of a smooth and uniform Zn-Ni alloy coating over mild steel is discussed in the present work. Bath constituents and operating parameters were optimized by standard Hull cell method. Triethanolamine and citric acid were used as additives altered the phase content in the coatings, most likely as a result of their adsorption at the surface of the cathode. The effect of citric acid was more pronounced than that of triethanolamine. The composition of coatings was determined by using colorimetric method. The bath followed anomalous codeposition with preferential deposition of Zn over nobler metal Ni. The experimental results reveal that a bright Zn-Ni alloy coating having ~4.92 wt.%Ni was showing peak performance of the coating against corrosion. Deposition was carried out under different condition of current densities and molar ratio of [Ni+2]/[Zn+2]. No transition current densities at which codeposition behaviour changed from anomalous to normal type was observed. The cathode current efficiency was higher than 80%. As the current density was increased or the bath temperature was decreased, the concentration of the nobler metal in the coating was increased. The thickness and hardness of all coatings increased as the applied current density was increased. The throwing power and reflectance of the coating was increased with current density to a peak value, and then decreased. Potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) methods were used to assess the corrosion resistance of Zn-Ni alloy coatings at different current densities. Surface morphology of the coatings was examined using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). A new and cheap Chloride bath, for bright Zn–Ni alloy coating on mild steel has been proposed, and results are discussed.