A study of corrosion resistance and formation characteristics of electroless Ni-P alloy coatings on Al₁₈B₄O₃₃w/6061 Al composite with a simple surface pre-treatment

Ni-P alloy coatings were successfully deposited on Al₁₈B₄O₃₃w/6061 Al composite by electroless deposition. A simple surface pre-treatment method prior to the coating process was used for the first time. The coatings were characterized by SEM/EDX, TEM and electrochemical methods. It was found that the pre-treatment prior to the coatings had an important effect on the electroless plating, which offered an active surface for the electroless deposition, resulting in the Ni-P coatings being uniformly formed on the substrate and providing the protection for the composite substrate.