Effect of Processing Parameters on the Thermal and Electrical Properties of Electroless Nickel-Phosphorus Plated Carbon Fiber Heating Elements

Abstract

Carbon fibers (CFs) were plated with nickel-phosphorus (Ni-P) using an electroless plating process. The effects of the process parameters such as heat treatment temperature, heat treatment time, and the pH of the plating bath on electroless Ni-P plating were investigated. The structure, elemental composition, and thermal and electrical properties of Ni-P plated CFs (MCF) were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), a four-probe volume resistivity tester, and an infrared thermal imaging camera, respectively. The XRD indicated the presence of amorphous and crystalline phases of Ni and Ni-P. The MCF were able to perform at high temperatures because of their higher thermal conductivity. A heat treatment temperature of 300 °C, a heat treatment time of 4 h, and a pH of 8.5 were found to be optimum for obtaining MCF with desirable thermal and electrical properties.

Heating Elements based on PVC and Carbon Fillers

“…21,22 For example, composites based on semicrystalline polymers [polyethylene (PE), poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), and polyethylene adipate (PEA)] with the same conductive filler and content demonstrate the PTC intensity of 6−7 orders of magnitude while only 1−3 orders of magnitude when based on amorphous polymers [polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl acetate (PVAc), and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)]. 4 T h i s c o n t e n t i s According to the statistical data, 23 the polymer polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is the third, after PE and PP, in terms of global production and the fourth in terms of demand in various areas of the industry. For example, the most demanded area of PVC is "building and construction", which covers such products as window frames and profiles, pipes including water and sewage pipes, and fittings that cover more than half of the applications.…”

“…Pyroresistance is the release of Joule heat in an electrically conductive composite when an electric current passes through it. Due to this effect, PCs are used to protect various devices (for example, electrical batteries of electric vehicles) from low ambient temperatures in northern areas since low temperatures reduce the performance characteristics of devices and can cause their damage. , PCs can also be used in medical equipment, various sensor elements, and self-regulating heating devices. − Various types of heating elements (HEs) have been proposed in publications. − Pyroresistance is closely related to the existence of the PTC effect (positive temperature coefficient of resistance), which manifests itself as an increase in electrical resistivity with increasing temperature. , If an electrical voltage is applied to the sample to cause the Joule heating effect, then after reaching a certain voltage value, a further increase in voltage does not cause an increase in temperature because the current flowing through the sample decreases due to an increase in resistance . This property of the PCs makes it possible to use them in self-regulating heating devices. − …”

“…Typically, composites based on semicrystalline polymers containing electrically conductive carbon fillers are used for HEs. ,,,, As for amorphous polymers, HEs based on epoxy resin, − natural rubber, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), and polybenzimidazole (PBI) are described in the literature. Composites based on semicrystalline polymers, mainly polyolefins, have higher values of the PTC effect than composites based on amorphous polymers. , For example, composites based on semicrystalline polymers [polyethylene (PE), poly­(ethylene oxide) (PEO), and polyethylene adipate (PEA)] with the same conductive filler and content demonstrate the PTC intensity of 6–7 orders of magnitude while only 1–3 orders of magnitude when based on amorphous polymers [polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl acetate (PVAc), and poly­(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)] …”

Induction Heating Characteristics of Electroless Ni-Coated CFRP for Deicing and Anti-Icing

“…However, these deicing devices are difficult to use widely for deicing because the as-prepared coatings, such as carbon nanotubes and graphene, are expensive and not easy to prepare and apply in a large area. Electroless nickel (EN) plating has the advantages of low cost, corrosion resistance, and wear resistance and is widely used in automobiles, textiles, and ships [31,32]. In addition, the induction heating efficiency of nickel is much higher than other metals due to its good magnetic permeability.…”

Large scale uniform Ni-P plated carbon fiber for boosting urea electro-oxidation and electro-detection

“…The metals can be continuously and uniformly deposited on the substrate, effectively enhancing the thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity of the substrate. Temperature, pH value, bath parameters and so on directly affect the electroless plating process (Fayyad et al, 2018;Choi et al, 2020). In addition, electroless plating is simple to operate and results in good surface deposition with uniform covering, which is suitable for all kinds of non-conductive substrates with complex shapes.…”