The aim of this paper was the fabrication of Ni-Co and Ni-Co/barium ferrite (BaFe) nanowires in sulfamate electrolyte by using anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) as template. Self-ordered porous AAO membranes have been fabricated and used as templates in order to produce Ni-Co/BaFe nanowires. Morphological and structural studies of nanowires have been performed by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), respectively. Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDAX) was used for determination of the chemical composition. The nucleation process of nanowires was monitored by galvanostatic analysis. Our investigations showed the formation of the Ni-Co and Ni-Co/BaFe nanowires by incorporating nanoparticles during electrodeposition process. The magnetic investigations have been performed by using Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) and the influence of the BaFe particles embedded in Ni-Co wires was revealed.

Electrodeposition can be used in order to prepare nanocomposite coatings made of nanoparticles dispersed into a metallic matrix, onto a metallic substrate. These kinds of coatings can combine the properties of the matrix and of the dispersed nanoparticles, which can lead to some interesting properties of the mixture. Including diamond nanoparticles into a metallic matrix can take advantage of the diamond properties, especially of its hardness and inertness in many chemical media. Still, the proper control of the electrodeposition parameters is a must in order to obtain the best microhardness and corrosion behavior of such nanocomposite coating. This paper proposes the comparative analysis between Ni/diamond nanocomposite coatings, prepared by electrodeposition, by varying several deposition parameters and the corresponding pure nickel coatings onto the same type of substrate, namely copper. Microstructural and morphological analysis of the two kinds of coatings are also performed and studied, along with microhardness measurements and corrosion resistance tests. It is concluded that specific electrodeposition technique and corresponding parameters must be used in order to prepare those Ni/diamond nanocomposite coatings with the best microhardness and best corrosion resistance.

This paper deals with the preparation and characterization of thin Ni layers. The electrodeposition was carried out galvanostatically from a Watts bath at different current densities in the range from 1 to 10 A dm−2 and for deposition times between 900 and 7200 s. The structure and the morphology of the nickel coatings were investigated by SEM and XRD techniques. The microhardness of deposited layers, the electrochemical behavior and the corrosion properties of the deposits were investigated by means of Vickers microhardness, polarization measurements, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The uniform deposits showed fine grains and good protection against corrosion.

Electrodeposition processes using direct current (DC) require the use of additives to control deposit structure and properties as well as current distribution. This work presents a study on the influence of electrodeposited nickel prepared from a Watts bath at different current density ranging from 1 Adm(-2) to 10 Adm(-2) at pH = 4. The structure of the nickel layers was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Vickers hardness of deposited layers was also investigated. The electrochemical behaviour of the nickel layers was investigated by polarization potentiodynamic and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy methods. Protection level against corrosion was evaluated by polarization curves and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). Important results include the formation of uniform deposits showing fine grain and excellent protection against corrosion.

Advances in materials performance often require the development of composite system. Nanocomposites containing titanium oxide nanoparticles in a nickel matrix have been prepared by means of electrocodeposition process from nickel plating bath an sulphate bath. The nanocomposite coatings were obtained by codeposition of the TiO2 nanoparticles (mean diameter 21 nm) with nickel during plating process. The surface morphology and microstructure of the nickel matrix was significantly altered due to the presence of titania nanoparticles. In the case of both nickel baths, the Vickers microhardness showed a tendency to increase with the amount of particle incorporation. The corrosion behaviour of the electrodeposited nickel in 0.5M Na2SO4 and 0.5M NaCl was studied using electrochemical methods. The corrosion rate calculated by polarization potentiodynamic curves obtained after 30 min and 1 h from immersion in solution is bigger for nanostructured coatings in 0.5M Na2SO4 (5.92 mu m/year) and a little bit smaller in 0.5M NaCl (3.77 mu m/year).