Development and characterization of Cu-Gr composite coatings by electro-co-deposition technique

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.