Ni-W Coatings with Amorphous-wrapped Nanocrystalline Core-shell Structure and Their Wear Performance

ZHU Lixia; LUO Jinheng; LONG Yan; WANG Nan; SONG Chengli; WU Gang; LI Lifeng

doi:10.16490/j.cnki.issn.1001-3660.2026.17.005

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Surface Technology ›› 2026, Vol. 55 ›› Issue (17) : 56-67. DOI: 10.16490/j.cnki.issn.1001-3660.2026.17.005

Friction, Wear and Lubrication

Ni-W Coatings with Amorphous-wrapped Nanocrystalline Core-shell Structure and Their Wear Performance

ZHU Lixia^1,*, LUO Jinheng¹, LONG Yan¹, WANG Nan², SONG Chengli¹, WU Gang¹, LI Lifeng¹

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Abstract

The work aims to propose and construct a novel amorphous-wrapped nanocrystalline core-shell structure to reveal the current density-controlled structural transition of Ni-W coatings from crystalline to amorphous, to elucidate the formation mechanism of the core-shell structure and its synergistic enhancement mechanism on the wear resistance of the coating, and to provide new insights into the structural design of high-performance wear-resistant protective coatings. Ni-W coatings were prepared by electrodeposition within a current density range of 10 to 30 A/dm². The microstructure, elemental composition, phase constituents, and morphology of the coatings were systematically characterized by SEM, EDS, XRD, and TEM. The friction coefficient and wear rate were evaluated through reciprocating sliding wear tests, and the three-dimensional morphology of the wear tracks was analyzed with a white light interferometer. The adhesion strength of the coatings was assessed with a scratch tester. In addition, molecular dynamics simulations were employed to investigate the intrinsic wear behavior of the coatings at the atomic scale. The results showed that as the current density increased from 10 A/dm² to 30 A/dm², the tungsten content in the coatings increased from 24.6wt.% to 44.8wt.%, accompanied by a structural transition from crystalline to amorphous. TEM analysis confirmed that in the amorphous coating with a tungsten content of 44.8wt.% and a core-shell structure was formed, consisting of Ni₄W nanoprecipitates (8-10 nm) uniformly distributed within and encapsulated by the amorphous matrix. The formation of this structure was attributed to the preferential segregation of W atoms at grain boundaries, which induced lattice distortion and subsequently promoted a local transition from crystalline to amorphous. Wear performance tests revealed that the amorphous coating with the core-shell structure exhibited an adhesion strength of 103.6 N and an average friction coefficient of 0.42. The wear track of the amorphous coating was shallow and narrow, and the dominant wear mechanism was identified as abrasive wear, in sharp contrast to the typical adhesive wear observed in the crystalline coating. Molecular dynamics simulations further verified the superior wear resistance of the amorphous coating at the atomic scale: at a sliding distance of 18 nm, the number of worn atoms in the amorphous coating (6 872) was significantly lower than that in the crystalline coating (7 619). In this study, a core-shell structure consisting of Ni₄W nanocrystals wrapped by an amorphous phase was constructed, and its wear resistance enhancement mechanism was elucidated through three synergistic effects: the high hardness and plastic deformation resistance of the surface amorphous layer, the mitigation of stress concentration through coordinated deformation in the subsurface core-shell structure, and the precipitation strengthening effect of the Ni₄W phase. This structural design enabled a synergistic enhancement of strength and wear resistance. This study provides a new theoretical basis for the performance optimization of Ni-W coatings and offers a novel technical approach for the development of other metal-based wear-resistant coatings.

Key words

Ni-W coating / electro deposition / amorphous / core-shell structure / wear resistance / molecular dynamics simulation

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ZHU Lixia, LUO Jinheng, LONG Yan, WANG Nan, SONG Chengli, WU Gang, LI Lifeng. Ni-W Coatings with Amorphous-wrapped Nanocrystalline Core-shell Structure and Their Wear Performance[J]. Surface Technology. 2026, 55(17): 56-67

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