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Tavakoli M R, Saeedi Heydari S M. Investigating the effect of sensitization & activation processing time on SiC powder coating by electroless nickel method. Iranian Journal of Ceramic Science & Engineering 2024; 13 (3)
URL: http://ijcse.ir/article-1-994-en.html

Investigating the effect of sensitization & activation processing time on SiC powder coating by electroless nickel method

Mohamad Reza Tavakoli¹

, Seyedeh Mina Saeedi Heydari ^*²

1- Iranian Research Organization for Science & Technology (IROST)
2- Iranian Research Organization for Science & Technology (IROST) , m.saeedi@irost.ir

Abstract: (217 Views)

In this study, the effect of sensitization and activation time of SiC powder on electroless nickel plating of this powder was investigated. For this purpose, after performing the surface preparation process for 10 and 20 minutes, plating was performed at temperatures of 75°C, 85°C, and 95°C for 15 minutes in an electroless nickel plating bath with a pH of 13. A scanning electron microscope equipped with an EDS analyzer was used to examine the morphology of the coated particles, and an X-ray diffraction instrument was used to determine the composition and phases present in the coated SiC powders. The results showed that increasing the time the SiC particles were in the ultrasonic device during the sensitization and activation processes increased the number of sites required for reduction, increasing the amount of nickel-containing deposits on the surface of the particles and forming a greater amount of coverage on the surface of the SiC particles. As the plating temperature increases, the amount of nickel-containing deposits on the surface of the particles increases, which is due to the increase in the rate of reactions in the electroless nickel plating bath. However, increasing the preparation time and increasing the temperature to 85°C and 95°C, increased the concentration of Ni²⁺ ions in the solution and formed Ni(OH)₂ precipitate. As a result, if the preparation time and plating temperature are increased, a greater amount of complexing agent is required to reduce the concentration of Ni²⁺ ions in the solution and prevent the formation of Ni(OH)₂ precipitate. At 85°C, the nickel coating was more uniformly deposited on the surface of the SiC particles. At a higher temperature (95°C), the high reaction rate in the plating bath caused the nickel coating to cluster and create a non-uniform layer on the surface of the SiC particles.

Keywords: Coating of SiC particles, Electroless nickel plating, Sensitization and activation processes, Plating temperature.

Type of Study: Research | Subject: Other fields
Received: 2025/10/3 | Accepted: 2026/05/9

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