Electrodeposition of Tailorable Nickel-Chrome Alloys in Ionic Liquids

Though much progress has been made to reduce the use of toxic substances in corrosion barriers, industry standard solutions still rely on toxic hexavalent chromium conversion coatings to be effective. Nickel-chrome alloys have demonstrated highly desirable properties of high durability and corrosion resistance without the use of highly toxic elements. Plating of these alloys is potentially an economical way to take advantage of the properties of this class of materials while exerting a high degree of control over the process parameters and resulting structure, but has been notoriously difficult to achieve in aqueous chemistry.

We explore the novel and complex interactions of composition and electrochemical parameters in dense ionic liquids via hanging mercury drop electrode studies, Tenori hull cell, and flat-on-flat depositions. The alloys and alloy gradients generated are characterized via mass spectrometry, X-ray florescence, and metallography to understand the deposition nature of each combinatorial system under a gradient of current densities, and potential uses as an effective corrosion barrier.