Effect of Current Density and Fly Ash Composition on Nickel Grain Size and Hardness of Nickel-Fly Ash Composite Coating Deposited on Aluminum Alloy 6061

Intan Sharhida Othman; Muhamad Khaizaki Ahmad; Muhammad Zaimi Zainal Abidin; Qumrul Ahsan; Noraiham Mohamad; Syahrul Azwan Sundi

Authors

Intan Sharhida Othman Faculty of Manufacturing Engineering, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Hang Tuah Jaya, 76100 Durian Tunggal, Melaka, Malaysia
Muhamad Khaizaki Ahmad Faculty of Manufacturing Engineering, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Hang Tuah Jaya, 76100 Durian Tunggal, Melaka, Malaysia
Muhammad Zaimi Zainal Abidin Faculty of Manufacturing Engineering, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Hang Tuah Jaya, 76100 Durian Tunggal, Melaka, Malaysia
Qumrul Ahsan Faculty of Manufacturing Engineering, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Hang Tuah Jaya, 76100 Durian Tunggal, Melaka, Malaysia
Noraiham Mohamad Faculty of Manufacturing Engineering, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Hang Tuah Jaya, 76100 Durian Tunggal, Melaka, Malaysia
Syahrul Azwan Sundi Faculty of Engineering Technology, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Hang Tuah Jaya, 76100 Durian Tunggal, Melaka, Malaysia

Keywords:

Current Density , fly ash composition, grain size , Ni-FA composite coating

Abstract

The nickel- fly ash (Ni-FA) composite coatings were deposited on zincated aluminium alloy 6061 (AA6061) substrate by using electrodeposition technique. The electrodeposition process was carried out for 1 hour at 40º C. The current density used was extended from 1, 5 to 9 A/dm2. Fly ash particles was added to nickel citrate bath at 0, 10, 50 and 90 g/l for electrodeposition of Ni-FA composite coating. The produced composite coatings were characterized using X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD). Microhardness of Ni-FA composite coatings were also investigated in this study. As the current density increased from 5 to 9 A/dm2. The nickel grain size in the Ni-FA composite coating were decreased. The decreasing in nickel grain size resulted in increasing of hardness value. Besides, the hardness results show a clear increasing trend with an increase of fly ash composition from 10 to 90 g/l, due to the presence of hard oxide in the fly ash particles.