YSZ/Ni double-shell powder via surface electroless deposition tuned by an active kinetic model

Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) powder with surface Ni plating has promising application in many fields due to its large surface area, low density and excellent high temperature performance. In this study, YSZ/Ni double-shell powder was fabricated via electroless deposition method, and an active surface kinetic model was developed to tune the surface area and nuclei loading quantitatively. A novel concept, active surface ratio (ASR, the ratio of active deposition surface area to projected area of ceramic powder), is proposed to intrinsically correlate deposition rate with nuclei topology on ceramic surface. The intrinsic relationship between microstructure of metallized ceramic surface and deposition duration was clarified. The active surface kinetic model reveals the correlation between the ASR and instantaneous deposition rate and provides necessary theoretical basis for effective control of ceramic surface modification process by electroless deposition.