Zinc-nickel electrodeposits have been seen as a viable replacement for cadmium, which has highly desirable properties in many engineering applications but possesses serious health and environmental drawbacks. In this work, we look at a systematic approach to characterize the properties of an existing zinc/nickel plating process through analysis of polarization data and corrosion properties. From this data, computer simulations were performed on a complex aircraft landing gear part to determine the distribution of plate thickness, current density, and alloy composition over the geometry of the part, all of which can be used to predict corrosion performance.
keywords: zinc/nickel plating, alloy plating, alloy composition, roughness, computer simulation, corrosion performance, cadmium replacements
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