**2.2. Electrodeposition of Ni-P/SiC composites**

Ni-P-SiC electrodeposits were obtained from a modified Watts Ni bath (solution S: 0.15 M H3BO3, 2 M NaCl, 0.65 M NiSO4∙6H2O, 0.75 M NiCl2∙6H2O, and 0.10 M H3PO3 with a pH of 1.5 adjusted with 1 M HCl) + 0.084 mM DTAB + *x* g mL-1 SiC (*x* = 0.00125, 0.0025, 0.005, 0.01, 0.015, or 0.02) using a parallel plate cell with an inter-electrode distance of 5 cm. The solutions were prepared immediately prior to each experiment using deionized water (18 MΩ cm) and analytical-grade reagents of the highest purity available (Sigma-Aldrich). The temperature of the electrolytic bath was controlled at 25 °C. Ni plates (99%, Atotech) were used as the anodes, and a plate of AISI 1018 steel of exposed area 10 × 15 cm2 was used as the cathode. All reagents were analytical grade.

The electrodeposition current density was selected on the basis of additional tests using a Hull cell. The coatings obtained were of commercial quality, which is suitable for industrial application.
