2017 Volume 103 Issue 5 Pages 215-220
The effect of substrate crystal orientation on the initial distribution of electrodeposit in Zn and Ni plating with a deposit of 10 mg/m2 or less was investigated by using chemically polished polycrystalline low carbon Al-killed steel sheets. Both Zn and Ni distributed according to the substrate crystalline grain size were identified. However, the trend of the initial distribution was different between Zn and Ni. Zinc mainly deposited on crystal grains that indicated the orientation of α-Fe(110), α-Fe(111) and α-Fe(112). In addition, the deposited Zn had the orientation of Zn (002) in respect of the substrate crystal orientation. These orientations of α-Fe were consistent with those of Zn(002), better than any other orientations. This indicates that the distribution of Zn deposits was affected by the consistency between the Zn(002) and α-Fe orientation. On the other hand, Nickel mainly deposited on crystal grains that indicated the orientation of α-Fe(111), α-Fe(112) and α-Fe(221). The face density of these α-Fe orientations was lower than that of any of the others. Therefore, the Ni deposits had a distribution depending on the face density of α-Fe. This trend is the same as that in displaced Ni plating.