Study Of Electroless Co-Ni-P Alloy Films With Rare Earth Element Cerium Addition

The component, structure and properties of the electroless deposition Co-Ni-P alloy film with rare earth cerium addition were studied. Based on the formulation of the electroless Co-Ni-P alloy, the rare earth element Ce is added into the plating bath and prepares the samples. The component, structure and micromorphology were observed by plasma transmitting spectrograph, energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer, transmission electron microscope and atomic force microscopy. The electrochemical characteristic, mechanical and magnetic properties were measured by electro-chemistry workstation, microhardness instrument and vibrating sample magnetometer. The mechanism of action and influence mode of rare earth element Ce on the process, structure and properties of Co-Ni-P alloy films were discussed. The results showed that after the rare earth element is. added to bath, the plating rate is increased obviously. In some range, plating rate increases at first, then decreases with increase of amount added of Ce. Because of RE being added to bath, the stability of bath, bonding force of coating and surface quality is improved. The rare earth elements Ce can codeposit with cobalt-base alloy, and with increase of amout added of RE in solution, the content of Co, Ni, P in alloy change in a small range and the content of Ce increase. The structure of alloys changes into crystalline from amorphous. The rare earth elements Ce makes microhardness of alloy coating improve. In some range, microhardness increases at first, then decreases with increase of content of rare earth elements Ce. The rare earth elements improve the magnetic properties of Co-Ni-P-RE alloys. Rare earth element cerium increases the saturated magnetic intensity, coercivity and the permeability of alloy film, and decrease remanent magnetic intensity of the alloy film.