The Effect of Crystallization and Phase Transformation on the Mechanical and Electrochemical Corrosion Properties of Ni-P Coatings

This paper deals with the study of the crystallization and phase transformation of Ni-P coatings deposited on AZ91 magnesium alloy. Prepared samples were characterized in terms of surface morphology and elemental composition by means of scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy analysis. The results of X-ray diffraction analysis and differential scanning calorimetry suggested that increasing the phosphorus content caused Ni-P coatings to develop an amorphous character. The crystallization of Ni was observed at 150, 250, and 300 °C for low-, medium- and high-phosphorus coatings, respectively. The Ni crystallite size increased with increasing temperature and decreasing P content. Conversely, the presence of the Ni3P phase was observed at a maximum peak of 320 °C for the high-phosphorus coating, whereas the crystallization of the Ni3P phase shifted to higher temperatures with decreasing P content. The Ni3P crystallite size increased with increasing temperature and increasing P content. An increase in microhardness due to the arrangement of Ni atoms and Ni3P precipitation was observed. The deposition of as-deposited Ni-P coatings led to an improvement in the corrosion resistance of AZ91. However, the heat treatment of coatings resulted in a deterioration in corrosion properties due to the formation of microcracks.