Abstract:
Graphene nanoplatelets (Gr) are considered as promising reinforcing elements in the composite coatings owing to its exceptional mechanical, electrochemical, electrical, and thermal properties. In the present work, Cu-Gr composite coatings were deposited on stainless steel substrate from the electrolyte bath containing different concentrations of Gr using the electro-co-deposition technique. The microstructure and phases of the Cu-Gr composite coating were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Microhardness tester was employed to calculate the microhardness. The experimental results show that the surface morphology and microstructure of the Cu-Gr composite coatings are significantly affected by the reinforcement of Gr. The microhardness of the Cu-Gr (0.2 g/L) composite coating is enhanced by 21.42% compared to the pure Cu coating.