Mechanism of Ag-SiO2-TiO2 Nanocomposite Coating Formation on NiTi Substrate for Enhanced Functionalization

The functionality of the NiTi shape memory alloy was improved through engineering Ag-SiO2-TiO2 nanocomposite coatings. For this purpose, an anaphoretic deposition process, conducted at a constant voltage of 40 V and deposition times ranging from 1 to 10 min, was used. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis demonstrated that the deposition parameters significantly impacted the morphology of the coatings. Complementary Raman Spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses confirmed the successful formation of distinct nanocomposite layers, and revealed the details of their crystalline structure and chemical composition. After that, the adhesion between the NiTi substrate and the electrophoretically deposited ceramic coatings was improved through a post-deposition heat treatment. To prevent excessive shrinkage and cracking of the coating, tests were carried out to characterize the behavior of the coating material at elevated temperatures. The nanocomposite coatings were exposed to a temperature of 800 °C for 2 h. The annealing induced significant structural and morphological transformations, resulting in layers that were distinctly different from both the original materials and those produced solely through electrophoretic deposition. The thermal treatment resulted in the formation of a new kind of nanocomposite structure with enhanced reactivity.