ELECTRODEPOSITION AND SURFACE PROPERTIES OF NICKEL-PTFE COMPOSITE FILM

Abstract

Ni-PTFE composite films with water repellency have been prepared by the electrodeposition in the nickel sulfamate plating bath in which PTFE fine particles are suspended by using a cationic surfactant. The maximum content of PTFE in the composite film was 17wt%. Above the contents of 12wt%, the contact angle of a water drop on the surface reached 156° in maximum. The surfactant was co-deposited with PTFE particles in the electrodeposited Ni-PTFE composite film. This causes that the water repellency on the surface of the film falls after the neutral salt spray test (NSS) and the thermal cycle tests. The heat-treatments above 300°C were effective to maintain the water repellent surface even after the weathering tests, while the surface morphology changed by the heat-treatment.