Optimization of the Properties of Electrodeposited Ni-YSZ Composites Using Taguchi Method and Regression Analysis

Abstract

Properties of electrodeposited Ni-composite coatings containing ceramic particles are very much dependant on the bath used, current density, duration of deposition, particle content in the bath, etc. In the present study, the influence of process parameters like the concentration of particles, current density and time of deposition on the area fraction of yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ), the microhardness and the thickness of the electrodeposited nickel (Ni)-YSZ composite coating was analyzed by Taguchi Design method and analysis of variance (ANOVA). According to the experimental results and ANOVA, the interaction of current and time are the most significant factors influencing the thickness of the coating; interaction of concentration of particles in the electrolyte bath and current are the most significant factors influencing the microhardness; and concentration of particles in the electrolyte bath is the most significant factor affecting the area fraction of particles in the Ni matrix. Models were developed for predicting the microhardness and thickness of the composite coating and area fraction of particles incorporated in the nickel matrix. They were found to be in good agreement with the experimental results. The models were tested for experimental conditions and were found to be close to predicted values. The thickness of the deposit was mainly dependent on the current density and duration of plating. On the other hand, the microhardness of the coating and area fraction of particles present in the nickel matrix were mainly dependent on the amount of particles present in the bath.

Optimization of the Electrodeposition Parameters to Improve the Stoichiometry of In2S3 Films for Solar Applications Using the Taguchi Method

“…It is a simple and effective technique that aims to optimize manufacturing processes in order to obtain the optimal performance. Today, this statistical tool is frequently applied to engineering, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology industries [21,22].…”

“…Taguchi believed that this robust design could help to minimize (if not eliminate) a loss of quality which ultimately results in cost to society [23]. He defined the sensitivity (signal-to-noise ratio, S/N) as the logarithmic function for the response analysis (the characteristic performance that could be "stoichiometry'' as it is in our case) of chosen deposition parameters to generate optimal design [22]. This analysis helps to compare the performance of a product with changing S/N ratios depending upon experimental procedures.…”

“…It is a suitable method to statistically analyze thin films since there are so many electrodeposition parameters that may have an impact upon the properties of semiconductor thin films. In the past, the Taguchi Method has been applied to various thin films (CuInSe 2 , TiN, and Ni) [21][22][23][24]. Figure 1 depicts the flowchart of the steps involved in the Taguchi Method.…”

Effects of Process Parameters on Microhardness of Electrodeposited Ni-Al Composite Coating Using Taguchi Method

“…Statistical prediction models for various performances in terms of process parameters had been explored by many researchers and also determined the best levels of the process parameters. Aruna et al [21] investigated the influences of process parameters in preparation of Ni-YSZ composite coatings by L9 orthogonal array of Taguchi's design and S/N ratio analysis. They considered current density, particle concentration and time of deposition on area fraction of YSZ particles, micro hardness and thickness of Ni-YSZ composite coating.…”

Optimization of Ni–Mo/Al composite coating parameters using Taguchi method

“…The strategies of DOE such as parameter optimization and Taguchi analysis have rarely been used for electrodeposited composite coatings [12,13]. According to the Taguchi method, a large number of parameters can be investigated with a small number of experiments using orthogonal array.…”