Electrodeposition of Corrosion‐Resistant Ni‐Zn Alloy: I . Cyclic Voltammetric Study

The interaction between different reacting species involved in the initial stage of electrodeposition of nickel‐zinc alloy was investigated. A cyclic voltammetric study indicates that codeposition of hydrogen and nickel occurs, with formation of two types of hydrogen‐nickel solid solution, i.e. , β‐Ni and α‐Ni. This nickel hydride formation during Ni‐Zn alloy electrodeposition was verified by analyzing the voltammograms of nickel, zinc, and Ni‐Zn alloy during initial deposition on various substrates. The dissolution potential of zinc and nickel from electrodeposited nickel‐zinc alloy spans a wide range ( ca. 400 mV). The influence of the interaction between nickel, hydrogen, and zinc on the nucleation of nickel‐zinc electrodeposition is reported in part II of this paper, p. 1304.