An Evaluation of the Wear Resistance of Electroplated Nickel Coatings Composited with 2,2,6,6-Tetramethylpiperidine 1-oxyl-Oxidized Cellulose Nanofibers

Abstract

In this study, the wear resistance of nickel (Ni)–cellulose nanofiber (CNF) composite electroplated films on steel plates (JIS SPCC, cold-rolled steel) was evaluated, including their surface and microstructural properties. In the CNF sample, 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine 1-oxyl (TEMPO)-oxidized CNF was used. As a result of the ball-on-disk abrasion test, in which steel (SUJ2) balls were used as the counterpart material, the plated film obtained with the addition of 1 g/L of CNF to the plating solution showed the highest wear resistance in this study. Compared to the conventional Ni-plated film without CNF, the abrasion loss volume on the plated side was reduced by approximately 79%, and that on the ball side was reduced remarkably by 94%. A microstructural analysis of the abrasion scars showed areas where co-deposited CNFs were stretched in the direction of abrasion, suggesting that the wear reduction effect was caused by sliding between the individual CNFs within the aggregates. Moreover, the hardness of the plated film increased when the Ni crystallite size became finer. It was confirmed that the co-deposition of fine CNFs is effective in improving hardness, whereas the co-deposition of a certain degree of aggregated CNFs is effective in exhibiting the wear reduction effect.

Bioinspired Thermal Conductive Cellulose Nanofibers/Boron Nitride Coating Enabled by Co-Exfoliation and Interfacial Engineering

“…We take advantage of sustainable 1D CNF and dopamine as the building blocks to mimic the combination of chitin and proteins. CNFs have a similar structure to chitin, but it is more widely available and stronger [ 19 , 20 , 21 ], while polydopamine (PDA) is a well-known mussel-inspired adhesive that mimics the adhesive properties of mussels, which can adhere to a variety of surfaces under wet and dry conditions [ 22 ]. CNFs and BN nanoplates are integrated together to form viscose ink through the simultaneous exfoliation/dispersion induced by the strong shearing force of pan mill.…”