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Non-isothermal crystallization kinetics of amorphous electroless nickel-phosphorus alloy plating

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Abstract

Amorphous nickel-phosphorus alloy as a metallic glass layer can not only protect the substrate from mechanical stress and corrosion but also improve the optical performance. The morphology, structure and chemical composition were studied in the work by using x-ray diffraction (XRD), high resolution transmission electron microscope, scanning electron microscope and in situ energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. Non-isothermal crystallization kinetics in amorphous electroless nickel-phosphorus alloy plating was characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The mass percentage concentration of P in the coating surface was about 12.36mass%, which belongs to high phosphorus metal glass coating. All the overall DSC curves with various heating rates have just one single exothermic peak of crystallization. The apparent activation energy E of characteristic temperatures were calculated by using Kissinger and Ozawa approach. Additionally, the local activation energy E(x) was measured by Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose and Ozawa-Flynn-Wall methods demonstrates a progressive declining trend as the crystallization process proceeds, which indicated the crystallization process becomes easier with the increase in temperature. Local activation energy E(x) decreased as the crystal volume fraction (x) increased in the crystallization process. The local Avrami exponents n(x) was estimated by the Johnson–Mehl–Avrami equation, and the values exceed 2.5 at different heating rates, which reflected the crystallization process is a representative three-dimensional diffusion-controlled growth mechanism in the overall crystallization process, and the nucleation rate increased with the increase in the crystallized volume fraction (x). Final results will provide comprehensive insights into the understanding about Ni–P plating formation.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Number: 51971166). The Natural Science Basic Research Program of Shaanxi (Grant Number: 2020JQ-811)

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  1. School of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Xi’an Technological University, Xi’an, 710021, Shaanxi, People’s Republic of China

    Meijuan Tian, Zengyun Jian & Fange Chang

  2. College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Baoji University of Arts and Sciences, Baoji, 721013, Shaanxi, People’s Republic of China

    Meijuan Tian & Rui Hai

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Correspondence to Zengyun Jian.

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Tian, M., Jian, Z., Hai, R. et al. Non-isothermal crystallization kinetics of amorphous electroless nickel-phosphorus alloy plating. J Therm Anal Calorim 148, 1959–1970 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-022-11828-0

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