Tribological Properties of Ni-P/Si₃N₄ Nanocomposite Layers Deposited by Chemical Reduction Method on Aluminum Alloy AW-7075

The article presents the results of tribological tests of Ni-P/Si₃N₄ nanocomposite and Ni-P nickel layers deposited on the AW-7075 aluminum alloy by chemical reduction method, and the AW-7075 alloy without coating. Nanocomposite layers were produced using Si₃N₄ siliconnitride in the form of a polydisperse powder whose particle sizes ranged from 20 to 25 nm. The influence of the content of the dispersion phase layer material on the abrasive wear, which was determined as the “ball on disc” method, was analyzed. Surface topography was examined by the contact method using a profilometer. The purpose of introducing Si₃N₄ particles into the Ni-P layer was to increase the wear resistance of AW-7075 aluminum alloy parts with an embedded nanocomposite coating. Based on the obtained test results, it was found that the Ni-P/Si₃N₄ layers are more resistant to wear than the Ni-P layers and the AW-7075 alloy layers, and are a good barrier against abrasive wear at various loads and environmental conditions.