Nanoparticles Research Yields Significant Advances in Materials Science

Strategic Insights -

Researchers at Malek Ashtar University of Technology have conducted a study on the effects of ceria nanoparticles and heat treatment on the coatings' phase characteristics and tribological behavior of Ni-P/Ni-B-CeO2 coating in an alkaline electroless bath. The study aimed to evaluate the impact of using ceria nanoparticles on the hardness and wear resistance of the coating. The results showed that the addition of ceria nanoparticles significantly enhanced the hardness of the coating by 47%, resulting in a hardness value of 1450HV0.1 after heat treatment.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found that the use of ceria nanoparticles in the Ni-P/Ni-B-CeO2 coating resulted in a significant increase in hardness by 47%, compared to the Ni-P/Ni-B coating.
  • The Ni-P/Ni-B and Ni-P/Ni-B-CeO2 coatings following heat treatment had the lowest friction coefficients of 0.2 and 0.4, respectively.
  • The study concluded that applying Ni-P/Ni-B-CeO2 coating improved the weight loss by 12 compared to the substrate.
  • The researchers utilized various characterization techniques, including field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) equipped with an energy-dispersive spectrometer (EDS), x-ray diffractometer (XRD), pull-off, hardness, and wear tests.
  • The study was conducted by F. Badiee, D. Arabian, H. Jamali, and S. Torkian from the Faculty of Applied Science at Malek Ashtar University of Technology.

Statistics:

  • The hardness of the Ni-P/Ni-B-CeO2 coating increased by 47% compared to the Ni-P/Ni-B coating following heat treatment.
  • The hardness value of the Ni-P/Ni-B-CeO2 coating was 1,450 HV0.1 after heat treatment.
  • The Ni-P/Ni-B and Ni-P/Ni-B-CeO2 coatings following heat treatment had friction coefficients of 0.2 and 0.4, respectively.
  • The weight loss of the Ni-P/Ni-B-CeO2 coating improved by 12 compared to the substrate.

Sources:

  • Investigation of wear behavior of Ni-P/Ni-B-CeO2 composite coating, Results in Surfaces and Interfaces, 2025, 19():100482
  • NewsRx. Malek Ashtar University of Technology Researchers Provide New Insights into Nanoparticles (Investigation of wear behavior of Ni-P/Ni-B-CeO2 composite coating), Nanotechnology Weekly. May 12, 2025; p 569.