ELECTRODEPOSITION OF CORROSION-RESISTANT NI-ZN ALLOY .1. CYCLIC VOLTAMMETRIC STUDY

The interaction between different reacting species involved in the initial stage of electrodeposition of nickel-zinc alloy was investigated. A cyclic voltammetric study indicates that codeposition of hydrogen and nickel occurs, with formation of two types of hydrogen-nickel solid solution, i.e., beta-Ni and alpha-Ni. This nickel hydride formation during Ni-Zn alloy electrodeposition was verified by analyzing the voltammograms of nickel, zinc, and Ni-Zn alloy during initial deposition on various substrates. The dissolution potential of zinc and nickel from electrodeposited nickel-zinc alloy spans a wide range (ca. 400 mV). The influence of the interaction between nickel, hydrogen, and zinc on the nucleation of nickel-zinc electrodeposition is reported in part II of this paper, p. 1304.