The overall process, from the pre-treatment of aluminum substrates to the eco-friendly neutral electroless Ni-P plating process, was observed, compared, and analysed. To remove the surface oxide layer on the aluminum substrate and aid Ni-P plating, a zincation process was carried out. After the second zincation treatment, it was confirmed that a mostly uniform Zn layer was formed and the surface oxide of aluminum was also removed. The Ni-P electroless plating films were formed on the secondary zincated aluminum substrate using electroless plating solutions of pH 4.5 and neutral pH 7.0, respectively, while changing the plating bath temperature. When a neutral pH7.0 electroless solution was used, the Ni-P plating layer was uniformly formed even at the plating bath temperature of 50 oC, and the plating speed was remarkably increased as the bath temperature was increased. On the other hand, when a pH 4.5 Ni-P electroless solution was used, a Ni-P plating film was not formed at a plating bath temperature of 50 oC, and the plating speed was very slow compared to pH 7.0, although plating speed increased with increasing bath temperature. In the P contents, the P concentration of the neutral pH 7.0 Ni-P electroless plating layer was reduced by ~ 42.3 % compared to pH 4.5. Structurally, all of the Ni-P electroless plating layers formed in the pH 4.5 solution and the neutral (pH 7.0) solution had an amorphous crystal structure, as a Ni-P compound, regardless of the plating bath temperature.

For enhanced cavitation erosion resistance of vessel propellers, an electroless Ni-P plating method was introduced to form a coating layer with high hardness on the surface of Cu alloy (CAC703C) used as vessel propeller material. An electroless Ni-P plating reaction generated by Fe atoms in the Cu alloy occurred, forming a uniform amorphous layer with P content of ~10 wt%. The amorphous layer transformed to (Ni3P+Ni) two phase structure after heat treatment. Cavitation erosion tests following the ASTM G-32 standard were carried out to relate the microstructural changes by heat treatment and the cavitation erosion resistance in distilled water and 3.5 wt% NaCl solutions. It was possible to obtain excellent cavitation erosion resistance through careful microstructural control of the coating layer, demonstrating that this electroless Ni-P plating process is a viable coating process for the enhancement of the cavitation erosion resistance of vessel propellers.

본 연구에서는 무전해 도금범으로 polyester film 상에 Co-Ni-P 박막을 석출시키고, pH, 온도 그리고 도금용액의 농도에 따른 도금속도 및 석출된 도금박막의 합금조성과 합금조성에 따른 자기적 특성을 고찰하였다. 무전해도금의 석출속도는 pH 8.5, 온도 90℃일때 가장 좋았으며, 자기적 특성도 이 때가 가장 좋았다. 합금조성은 pH와 착화제의 농도에 따라서는 크게 변화하였으나, 그 밖의 인자들에 의해서는 변화하지 않았다. 최적조건에서 만들어진 박막의 합금조성은 코발트가 78%, 니켈이 16%, 인이 6%였고, 보자력은 370 Oe, 각형비는 0.65였다. 박막은 합금조성에 따라 경질자성막과 연질자성막의 두가지 형태로 변화했고, 니켈이 30% 이상 공석(共席)되었을 때, 연질자성막으로 되었다. 연질자성막일때, 합금박막의 결정구조는 니켈이 강하게 배향된 비정질 형태를 나타냈고, 경질자성 막일때는, 코발트(101)과 (100)면으로 배향된 α-코발트의 hcp 결정구조를 나타내었다.