INFLUENCE OF PROCESS PARAMETERS FOR ELECTROLESS PLATING NICKEL ALLOY NANOPARTICLES ON CARBON FIBERS

摘要

Carbon fibers have been coated with nickel alloy nanoparticles by electroless plating process, with sodium hypophosphite as a reducing agent in an alkaline bath. The effects of process parameters such as catalyzation time, coating time and nickel sulphate concentrations were investigated. The morphology, coating thickness, growth rate, particle-size, phases and element content in the coating layer of the nickel-coated carbon fibers were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and ICP, respectively. It has been confirmed that the growth rate and nickel content increase with an increase of nickel sulphate concentrations and coating time. The catalyzation time for 45min, coating time for 20min, bath temperature of 70°C, pH of 9, and nickel sulphate concentration of 40g/L is good to get a continuous and uniform coating of nickle alloy nanoparticles on carbon fiber. The average diameter of the nickel alloy nanoparticles has been estimated as 10 nm.