Grain boundary engineering to enhance thermal stability of electrodeposited nickel

Manufacturing technologies such as injection molding and micro electromechanical systems demand materials with improved mechanical properties (e.g. hardness, ductility) and high durability at elevated temperatures. Significant improvement in some of the mechanical properties is obtained by miniaturization of the grains down to nano-meter scale.

However, this augments the total grain boundary energy stored in the material, hence, making the material less thermally stable. Coherent twin boundaries are of very low energy and mobility compared to all other boundaries in a FCC material. Accordingly, grain boundary engineering of electrodeposited nickel to achieve high population of coherent twin boundaries and, hence, higher thermal stability is a promising method to achieve simultaneous improvement in mechanical properties and thermal stability.

This is of particular scientific and practical interest. The evolution of microstructure in as-deposited and annealed condition was investigated with a combination of complementary microscopic techniques, electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), electron channelling contrast imaging (ECCI), ion channelling contrast imaging (ICCI), and, for the as-deposited state also high resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

Based on the obtained results, it is demonstrated that the grain boundary character including the network of special boundaries has a pronounced influence on the thermal stability of the as-deposited microstructure.