Enhancement of the Wear Resistance and Corrosion Resistance of Electroplated Ni–W–B Coatings Using PDA-Functionalized VC

In this study, vanadium carbide (VC) was used as the raw material to synthesize PDA-functionalized VC (P-VC). VC and P-VC were added as nanoreinforced materials to the Ni–W–B coating. The effects of the two nanomaterials on the morphology, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance of the Ni–W–B coatings were investigated and compared. The experimental results show that the surface of the Ni–W–B/P-VC coating is denser and more uniform than that of the Ni–W–B and Ni–W–B/VC coatings, and there are no obvious defects on the surface. According to the hardness test, the Ni–W–B/P-VC coating reaches the highest microhardness of 887.1 HV. According to the friction and wear tests, the Ni–W–B/P-VC coating has the shallowest scratches, the lowest average friction coefficient (COF = 0.274), and the lowest wear rate (9.578 × 10^–8 mm²/N). The corrosion resistance is the best, the corrosion rate is 0.0456 mm/y, and the impedance value R_t reaches 14,501 Ω·cm².