Nanoscale electropolishing of high-purity nickel with an ionic liquid

Abstract

High purity (>99.9% composition) nickel metal specimens were used in electropolishing treatments with an acid-free ionic liquid electrolyte prepared from quaternary ammonium salts as a green polishing solution. Voltammetry and chronoamperometry tests were conducted to determine the optimum conditions for electrochemical polishing. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed nanoscale effectiveness of each polishing treatment. Atomic force microscopy provided an overall observation of the material interface between the treated and unpolished regions. Surface morphology comparisons summarized electrochemical polishing efficiency by providing root-mean-square roughness averages before and after electrochemical polishing to reveal a mirror finish six times smoother than the same nickel metal surface prior to electropolishing. This transition manifested in a marked change in root-mean-squared roughness from 112.58 nm to 18.64 nm and producing a smooth mirror finish. Finally, the mechanism of the ionic liquid during electropolishing revealed decomposition of choline in the form of a transient choline radical by acceptance of an electron from the nickel-working electrode to decompose to trimethylamine and ethanol.

Keywords

electrochemical polishing / ionic liquid / Ni / 2EG:1VB₄

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