On the Adhesive Strength Quantification and Tribological Performance of the Multilayered Fe–Ni Coating Fabricated by Electroplating

The present work studied the adhesive strength and tribological performance of the multilayered Fe–Ni coating fabricated by the electroplating. The adhesive strength was quantified by a novel modified Ollard method. The cross-section morphology and inherent mechanical properties of each layer were analyzed. The tribological performance of the developed coating was compared with the common used BP alloy cast iron. The effect of the treatment of dimple texturing coupling with the MoS₂ on friction reduction of the Fe–Ni coating was investigated. The results show that the adhesive strength between the Fe–Ni coating and the 42CrMo substrate is as high as 460 MPa. The repeatable results validate the applicability and stability of the developed adhesion quantification method. The initial layer, transition layer and hard Fe–Ni layer can be observed in sequence from the substrate to the coating surface. Accordingly, the hardness and residual stress in different layers varies with different layers. The tribological properties of the Fe–Ni coating are better than the common used BP alloy cast iron, such as the lower friction coefficient and less wear loss as well as much longer anti-scuffing time. The treatment of dimples textured surface and then filled with MoS₂ nano particles can even improve the tribological performance of the Fe–Ni coating due to the coupling effect of the dimples and MoS₂ particles.