A 2-dimensional modelling of the coating process of nickel on polyurethane foam via electrodeposition

A numerical model is proposed to investigate the electrodeposition coating process of open-porous polyurethane (PU) foams with nickel. The modelling approach is based on the mixture theory, which accounts for the multi-phase nature of the system comprising the porous foam structure and the electrolyte which consists of the deposition material in form of cations. The model takes into consideration various physical and electrochemical phenomena, including different ionic transport mechanisms, i.e. diffusion, convection and migration. By solving the governing equations numerically, the coating process and the relevant variables are predicted over time. The simulation results are compared with experimental data to assess the agreement between the model and the experimental results. The findings reveal that the numerical model provides valuable insights into the electrodeposition process and facilitates a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms and it can be used for optimizing the coating process parameters.