article · Results in Engineering
Electroless nickel-phosphorus plating on silicon carbide substrates serves as a protective coating method for precision glass moulding tools. Investigating how the initial surface texture of the substrate affects plating quality reveals that initial preparation is critical. Rougher substrates accelerate the rate of deposition and produce thicker nickel-phosphorus coatings, but they also result in higher final roughness levels. Conversely, highly polished substrates suffer from poor interfacial adhesion, showing a tendency to peel under indentation testing. Substrates prepared with moderate initial roughness offer a beneficial compromise, generating smoother finished surfaces while maintaining adequate coating stability despite slower deposition rates. These insights highlight the necessity of balancing substrate roughness to optimise both deposition performance and the mechanical adhesion of protective layers on moulding dies.
Precision glass moulding relies on durable silicon carbide moulds to form glass components. Applying nickel-phosphorus coatings protects these moulds, but improper surface preparation can cause the plating to detach or become excessively uneven. Identifying the ideal substrate roughness ensures strong interfacial adhesion and better final surface quality, helping prevent coating failure and extending the operational lifespan of moulding tools.
The findings directly apply to manufacturers producing moulds for precision glass moulding. By establishing targeted substrate preparation parameters, producers can improve coating adhesion and manage surface roughness on silicon carbide components. This research represents applied laboratory testing, having evaluated deposition rates and adhesion via mechanical indentation. Moving towards commercial use would require validating the performance of these coated moulds within operational production environments.
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• This research has provided evidence supporting the importance of maintaining a moderate amount of substrate roughness • The substrates with a higher degree of roughness facilitated an accelerated rate of deposition, resulting in the formation of a thicker layer of Ni-P. • The anticipated findings of this study are expected to contribute to the improvement of molds manufacturing procedures for PGM. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of substrate surface roughness on the deposition and adhesion properties of electroless Nickel-Phosphorus (Ni-P) plating on 6H-SiC substrates, which is a typical mold material for Precision Glass Molding (PGM). This research investigated the impact of surface roughness at different levels. These levels range from polished surfaces with Ra ∼58 nm to non-polished surfaces with Ra ∼813 nm, affecting both the electroless Ni-P plating process and the quality of the resulting layers. The study reveals that the initial roughness of the substrate significantly influences the final surface profile of electroless Ni-P plating. This is evidenced by the highest roughness of approximately Ra ∼1.32 µm observed on the most uneven substrate. Conversely, substrate characterized by an initial roughness of Ra ∼160 nm has a reduced post-plating roughness of Ra ∼583 nm and contribute to the smoothness of surface. While the observed surface morphology indicates a decrease in the deposition rates. Additionally, the Rockwell C indentation tests indicate that substrates characterized by lower roughness are susceptible to adhesion difficulties, particularly in the form of peeling at the plating-substrate interface.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.rineng.2024.103891
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