Mechanical and anticorrosive properties of copper matrix micro- and nano-composite coatings

In the frame of the research domain of the production of metal matrix composite coatings, the aim of the present work was the production of copper electrodeposits containing micro- and nano-particles of SiC. The electrodeposition was carried out under dc conditions using a copper pyrophosphate plating bath into which micro- or nano-SiC particles were suspended. The composite coatings were tested and compared to pure copper coatings regarding their microstructure, mechanical and anticorrosive properties. The codeposition of SiC in the metal matrix changed the microstructure of the copper leading to improvement of both their mechanical and, in some cases, their protective properties. The Vickers microhardness presented an increase of about 35% and 61% in the case of SiC micro- and nano-particles incorporation while the increase of the abrasion resistance was 88% and 58%, respectively. The incorporation of the micro-particles lead to gaps formation among the SiC micro-particles and the metal matrix, thus lowering the resistance on both uniform and localized corrosion in comparison to the pure copper-coated specimens while the codeposition of SiC nano-particles produced deposits with higher resistance to both uniform and localized corrosion.