Electrodeposition of amorphous iron-nickel-phosphorus alloy coatings

The effects of plating parameters on the composition and structure of electrodeposited Fe-Ni-P alloys have been studied. A sulfate electrolyte containing sodium hypophosphite with an acetate buffer was used. Deposits were plated onto both planar and rotating cylinder electrodes. Alloy deposits that were amorphous over a wide range of iron:nickel ratios were achieved. The anomalous deposition typical of Ni-Fe alloy plating was not observed in these studies where phosphorus was codedeposited. The deposit composition was dependent on both the plating bath composition and current density.