TWI has developed an electroless nickel-phosphorus plating (ENP) composite coating for demanding applications as part of ongoing geothermal-related research projects such as Geo-Coat, Geo-Drill, and GEOHEX.
ENP coating is used in many industries, including aerospace, oil and gas, geothermal, construction, and electronics, owing to its exceptional mechanical and tribological properties such as high hardness, wear and corrosion resistance.
By controlling the microstructure, ENP coating properties such as resistance to wear and corrosion, antifouling, anti-scaling, or their combination can be tuned. This can be achieved through tailoring the alloy chemistry (varying the phosphorous contents, incorporation of nanoparticles), post-plating heat treatment, etc. The incorporation of nanoparticles can enhance coating functionalities such as hydrophobicity, high hardness, and wear resistance with low coefficient of friction (CTE), etc.
With its large suite of facilities that include corrosion and tribological testing laboratories, heat treatment furnaces, and advanced characterisation tools, TWI is uniquely placed to offer advice and expertise on ENP coating for broad ranging applications.
