Numerical Insights Into the Influences of Chloride Baths Conditions on FeCoNi Ternary Alloy Electrodeposition

Electrodeposition of Fe-rich FeCoNi ternary alloys is an important and cost-effective surface fabrication method. It is necessary to investigate the influences of electrodeposition conditions in a systematic method. Finite element analysis (FEA) is an economical and time-saving way to study the numerous parameters during electrodeposition. In this work, the tertiary current distribution was used to model the codeposition of a FeCoNi ternary alloy, considering the intermediate absorption and hydrogen evolution reaction on the cathode. A comparative study between simulation and experiment in terms of the influences of operating conditions was conducted. Meanwhile, the experimental results validated the simulation models, showing excellent correspondence between the simulation and the experiment. Finally, the effects of operating conditions such as current density, bath temperature, bulk pH and electrolyte composition on cathode polarization, current efficiency, and throwing and covering power were investigated via simulation. The results can provide data for the industrial design and manufacture of FeCoNi alloy electrodeposition.