Electroplating Behavior of Zn-Ni Alloys in an Alkaline Electrolyte

The electroplating behavior of Zn-Ni alloys in an alkaline electrolyte was investigated using cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry (CHR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) techniques. The results show that a layer of Ni-enriched deposits preferentially formed on A3 steel substrate during the initial electroplating stage of Zn-Ni alloy. The Zn2+ ions in the solution inhibited the reduction of Ni2+ ions, while Ni2+ ions accelerated the reduction reaction of Ni2+ ions. The initial deposition process of Zn-Ni alloy follows the mechanism of 2D nucleation/growth under mass transfer control.