Chromium-Ceria Electrocomposite Coatings

Chromium-ceria electrocomposite coatings were produced from four different levels of addition of ceria powder to the bath. Properties of the coatings, such as incorporation of the ceramic particles in the chromium metal matrix, hardness, specific wear rate and Archard wear coefficient were determined and compared with those of plain chromium coatings. In all baths used, tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA) was added as a promoting agent and a ratio of ceria:TEPA was maintained at 10:1. The coatings produced from the baths containing high content of ceria powder show high hardness and good resistance to wear.