Composite Plating of Silica Particles Treated with Silane Coupling Agent and Nickel from Watts Bath

Abstract

The codeposition mechanisms of silica particles with nickel from a Watts bath were investigated by analyzing the potentiometric titration curves and SEM photographs of the silica particles in codeposited films.
Silica particles treated with a silane coupling agent was deposited with nickel from the Watts bath, while nickel ion forms the complex with the amino group on the particle surface, introduced by the above treatment. Silica particles could not be deposited without further treatment where no interaction was observed between the particles and nickel ion. The codeposition behavior is also discussed on the basis of the morphology of the deposited films.