Effect of Amorphous Boron on the Microstructure and Corrosion Properties of Ni-W Coatings

In this study, a nickel-tungsten/amorphous boron composite coating (Ni-W/B) was successfully deposited on carbon steel using the electrodeposition method. Electrodeposition was performed by dispersing varying quantities of amorphous boron (0, 0.5, 1, and 3 g/L) particles in a Ni-W electrolytic bath. The microstructure and morphology of composite coatings were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The electrochemical properties of the Ni-W alloy and Ni-W/B composite coatings were studied using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), polarization curves, and immersion testing. It was found that the addition of amorphous boron particles to Ni-W coatings can significantly smooth the modified composite coatings and improve the corrosion resistance, probably by changing the corrosion from pitting to uniform corrosion with increasing boron content. The boron concentration of 0.5 g/L in the bath provided the highest corrosion resistance among all the modified coatings.