Electroless deposition of Ni-P/nano-TiO₂composite coatings on pet and carbon fibres substrates

Anna Sałacińska, Milena Zawadowska, Jerzy Bieliński, Rafał Kozera, Anna Boczkowska, Krzysztof J. Kurzydłowski

Quarterly No. 2, 2013 pages 86-91

DOI:

keywords: electroless composite deposition, Ni-P/TiO₂ composite, deposition rate and microstructure, PET and carbon fibers metallization

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abstract This paper presents the results of studies on the electroless deposition of Ni-P/nano-TiO₂ composite coatings on pretreated polymeric substrates (PET polyester Mylar A type) and on carbon fibres (24k fibres with 7 µm Tenax rovings). The Ni-P layer was deposited from a solution consisting of NiSO₄ 0.1 M; NaH₂PO₂ 0.2 M; glycine 0.21 M, with a pH = 7.5÷8.5 and thiourea added as a stabilizer, as well as cetyltrimethylammonium bromide as a surfactant. Titanium(IV) oxide (Aldrich, grains 25 nm) in powder form was added, amounting to 10÷30 g/l, with ultrasonic homogenization of the suspension. Under the experimental conditions applied, partial sedimentation of the powder occurred. Deposition was performed at the temperature of 70°C, during 5÷15 minutes for the carbon fibers and 60 minutes for PET. The substrates were rotated at 1 rpm and the suspension was agitated with a stirrer. The composition of the deposited layers was determined by chemical methods and their surface morphology was investigated using SEM. Under the applied conditions, Ni-P/TiO₂ layers of a thickness within 0.3÷1 µm, titanium oxide content up to 17% by weight, and 2÷3% phosphorus by weight, were obtained.