Nickel matrix composite coatings: Application in textile machinery and evaluation of cotton products quality

Coatings applied to several mechanical parts involved in the cotton textile industry are expected to improve production efficiency and to decrease the relevant costs. The quality of cotton products is one of the most crucial parameters in the development of textile industry and is significantly associated with the mechanical and tribological properties of the coated machinery parts. For this purpose, nickel matrix coatings containing silicon carbide (SiC) micro-particles, prepared under pulse plating conditions were applied on several parts. Surface morphology, preferred orientation of the crystals, incorporated SiC percentage and mechanical properties of these coatings were investigated. Moreover, the influence of the surface coating on the cotton products quality was studied by the means of a prototypal method, which determines the extent of wear on a typical cotton fabric, under strictly controlled conditions. It has been proved that Ni/SiC coatings, prepared under very well defined conditions (pulse current density, frequency, duty cycle, etc), present relatively low roughness, high microhardness, low sliding friction coefficient between the coating and typical cotton products and reduced wear against cotton fabrics or yarns.