Electroless Ni-P/Ni-B duplex coatings for improving the hardness and the corrosion resistance of AZ91D magnesium alloy

The Ni-P/Ni-B duplex coatings were deposited on AZ91D magnesium alloy by electroless plating process and their structure, morphology, microhardness and corrosion resistance were evaluated. The duplex coatings were prepared using dual baths (acidic hypophosphite- and alkaline borohydride-reduced electroless nickel baths) with Ni-P as the inner layer. The coatings were amorphous in as-plated condition and crystallized and produced nickel borides upon heat-treatment. SEM observations showed that the duplex interface on the magnesium alloy was uniform and the compatibility between the layers was good. The Ni-P/Ni-B coatings microhardness and corrosion resistance of having Ni-B coating as the outer layer was higher than Ni-P coatings. The Ni-P/Ni-B duplex coatings on AZ91D magnesium alloy with high hardness and good corrosion resistance properties would expand their scope of applications.     

Correlation between the surface chemistry and the atmospheric corrosion of AZ31, AZ80 and AZ91D magnesium alloys

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used in order to investigate the correlation between the surface chemistry and the atmospheric corrosion of AZ31, AZ80 and AZ91D magnesium alloys exposed to 98% relative humidity at 50 °C. Commercially pure magnesium, used as the reference material, revealed MgO, Mg(OH)₂ and tracers of magnesium carbonate in the air-formed film. For the AZ80 and AZ91D alloys, the amount of magnesium carbonate formed on the surface reached similar values to those of MgO and Mg(OH)₂. A linear relation between the amount of magnesium carbonate formed on the surface and the subsequent corrosion behaviour in the humid environment was found. The AZ80 alloy revealed the highest amount of magnesium carbonate in the air-formed film and the highest atmospheric corrosion resistance, even higher than the AZ91D alloy, indicating that aluminium distribution in the alloy microstructure influenced the amount of magnesium carbonate formed.     

Plasma electrolytic oxidation coating on AZ91 magnesium alloy modified by neodymium and its corrosion resistance

Ceramic coatings on the surfaces of Mg-9Al-1Zn (AZ91) magnesium alloy and Mg-9Al-1Zn-1Nd magnesium alloy (AZ91 magnesium alloy modified by neodymium, named as AZ91Nd in this paper) are synthesized in aluminate electrolyte by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) process, respectively. X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses show the PEO coating on the Mg-9Al-1Zn-1Nd alloy comprises not only MgO and Al₂O₃, which are found in the coating on the AZ91 alloy, but also a trace amount of Nd₂O₃. Microstructure observations indicate the addition of Nd can decrease the sizes of β phases and form Al₂Nd intermetallics in the AZ91 alloy. The fine β phases can effectively restrain the formation of unclosed-holes and greatly decrease the sizes of pores in the coating during the PEO process. In addition, the Al₂Nd intermetallics can be completely covered due to the lateral growth of the PEO coatings formed on the α and β phases. As a result, the coating on the AZ91Nd alloy possesses a dense microstructure compared with that on the AZ91 alloy. The following corrosion tests indicate the corrosion resistance of the PEO coating on the AZ91Nd alloy is evidently higher than that of the PEO coating on the AZ91 alloy.     

Composition design and laser cladding of Ni-Zr-Al alloy coating on the magnesium surface

The cluster line criterion was used for optimized design of a Ni-Zr-Al alloy used as coating on the AZ91HP magnesium alloy by laser cladding. Results show that the coating mainly consists of an amorphous, two ternary intermetallic phases with Ni₁₀Zr₇ and Ni₂₁Zr₈ type structures resulting in high hardness, good wear resistance and corrosion resistance. The interface between the clad layer and the substrate has good metallurgical bond.     

Studies on influence of zinc immersion and fluoride on nickel electroplating on magnesium alloy AZ91D

The effect of zinc immersion and the role of fluoride in nickel plating bath were mainly investigated in nickel electroplating on magnesium alloy AZ91D. The state of zinc immersion, the composition of zinc film and the role of fluoride in nickel plating bath were explored from the curves of open circuit potential (OCP) and potentiodynamic polarization, the images of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the patterns of energy dispersive X-ray (EDX). Results show that the optimum zinc film mixing small amount of Mg(OH)₂ and MgF₂ is obtained by zinc immersion for 30-90 s. The corrosion potential of magnesium alloy substrate attached zinc film will be increased in nickel plating bath and the quantity of MgF₂ sandwiched between magnesium alloy substrate and nickel coating will be reduced, which contributed to produce nickel coating with good performance. Fluoride in nickel plating bath serves as an activator of nickel anodic dissolution and corrosion inhibitor of magnesium alloy substrate. 1.0-1.5 mol dm⁻³ of F⁻ is the optimum concentration range for dissolving nickel anode and protecting magnesium alloy substrate from over-corrosion in nickel plating bath. The nickel coating with good adhesion and high corrosion resistance on magnesium alloy AZ91D is obtained by the developed process of nickel electroplating. This nickel layer can be used as the rendering coating for further plating on magnesium alloys.     

Corrosion protection of Mg/Al alloys by thermal sprayed aluminium coatings

The protective features of thermal sprayed Al-coatings applied on AZ31, AZ80 and AZ91D magnesium/aluminium alloys were evaluated in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution by electrochemical and gravimetric measurements. The changes in the morphology and corrosion behaviour of the Al-coatings induced by a cold-pressing post-treatment were also examined. The specimens were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis and low-angle X-ray diffraction. The as-sprayed Al-coatings revealed a high degree of porosity and poor corrosion protection, which resulted in galvanic acceleration of the corrosion of the magnesium substrates. The application of a cold-pressing post-treatment produced more compact Al-coatings with better bonding at the substrate/coating interface and higher corrosion resistance regardless of the nature of the magnesium alloy.     

Effect of α-Al2O3 on the properties of cold sprayed Al/α-Al2O3 composite coatings on AZ91D magnesium alloy

Composite coatings using pure Al powder blended with α-Al₂O₃ as feedstock were deposited on AZ91D magnesium alloy substrates by cold spray (CS). The content of α-Al₂O₃ in the feedstock was 25 wt.% and 50 wt.%, respectively. The effects of α-Al₂O₃ on the porosity, microhardness, adhesion and tensile strength of the coatings were studied. Electrochemical tests were carried out in neutral 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution to evaluate the effect of α-Al₂O₃ on the corrosion behavior of the coatings. The results showed that the composite coatings possessed lower porosity, higher adhesion strength and tensile strength than cold sprayed pure Al coating. The corrosion current densities of the composite coatings were similar to that of the pure Al coating and much higher than that of bare AZ91D magnesium alloy.     

The microstructure, mechanical and friction properties of protective diamond like carbon films on magnesium alloy

Protective hard coatings deposited on magnesium alloys are believed to be effective for overcoming their poor wear properties. In this work, diamond-like carbon (DLC) films as hard protective films were deposited on AZ91 magnesium alloy by arc ion plating under negative pulse bias voltages ranging from 0 to −200 V. The microstructure, composition and mechanical properties of the DLC films were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and nanoindentation. The tribological behavior of uncoated and coated AZ91 magnesium alloy was investigated using a ball-on-disk tribotester. The results show that the negative pulse bias voltage used for film deposition has a significant effect on the sp³ carbon content and mechanical properties of the deposited DLC films. A maximum sp³ content of 33.3% was obtained at −100 V, resulting in a high hardness of 28.6 GPa and elastic modulus of 300.0 GPa. The DLC films showed very good adhesion to the AZ91 magnesium alloy with no observable cracks and delamination even during friction testing. Compared with the uncoated AZ91 magnesium alloy, the magnesium alloy coated with DLC films exhibits a low friction coefficient and a narrow, shallow wear track. The wear resistance and surface hardness of AZ91 magnesium alloy can be significantly improved by coating a layer of DLC protective film due to its high hardness and low friction coefficient.     

pH值对AZ31镁合金表面植酸转化膜在模拟体液耐腐蚀性能的影响

采用沉积的方法在镁合金AZ31表面制备植酸转化膜并研究了pH值的影响. 利用极化曲线和电化学阻抗谱方法测定其耐腐蚀性能,用扫描电子显微镜观察转化膜的表面微观结构,用能谱测定转化膜的组成元素. 在理论上通过热力学的方法分析最佳pH值. 植酸转化膜可以提高镁合金AZ31的耐腐蚀性能. 当植酸溶液的pH=5时腐蚀效率达到了89.19%,此时腐蚀电位正移了156 mV,腐蚀电流密度与没有处理的试样相比减小了约一个数量级. 热力学分析表明植酸转化膜的耐腐蚀性能不仅受植酸根离子和镁离子浓度的影响,也与氢气释放的速率有关.     

Preparation and properties of composite ceramic coating containing Al2O3–ZrO2–Y2O3 on AZ91D magnesium alloy by plasma electrolytic oxidation

A composite ceramic coating containing Al₂O₃–ZrO₂–Y₂O₃ was successfully prepared on AZ91D magnesium alloy by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) technique in an alkaline aluminate electrolyte. The morphology, elemental and phase composition, corrosion behavior and thermal stability of the uncoated and coated samples were studied by environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), electrochemical corrosion test, high temperature oxidation test and thermal shock test. The results showed that the composite ceramic coating was composed of Al₂O₃, c-ZrO₂, t-ZrO₂, Y₂O₃ and some magnesium compounds, such as MgO, MgF₂ and MgAl₂O₄. After PEO treatment, the corrosion potential of AZ91D alloy was increased and the corrosion current density was significantly reduced. Besides, the coated magnesium alloys also showed excellent high temperature oxidation resistance and thermal shock resistance at 500 °C environment.     

激光熔覆Al+SiC涂层对镁合金表面耐磨性能的改性

通过脉冲激光器(Nd-YAG)在AZ91D镁合金基底上熔覆Al+SiC粉体。采用扫描电子显微镜、能量色散谱(EDS)和X-射线衍射测定分析熔覆层的显微组织、化学成分和物相组成。研究表明:Al+SiC涂层主要由SiC,β-Mg_(17)Al_(12)及Mg和Al相组成,激光熔覆层与镁合金基底表现出良好的冶金结合。所有样品都具有树枝状结构,且随着SiC质量分数的增大,树枝状和胞状结构的间隔变得更大。熔覆涂层的表面硬度高于基底,并且随着熔覆层中的SiC质量分数的增加而增大,SiC质量分数为40%的熔覆层具有最大的显微硬度,达到180 HV,然而质量分数为10%的熔覆层硬度为136 HV。销盘滑动磨损试验表明,复合涂层中的SiC颗粒和原位合成的Mg_(17)Al_(12)相显著提高了AZ91D镁合金的耐磨损性,其中,SiC质量分数从10%增加到30%过程中磨损体积损失逐渐减少,SiC质量分数在20%~30%时熔覆层具有最好的耐磨性。     

Electrodeposition of high corrosion resistance Cu/Ni-P coating on AZ91D magnesium alloy

High corrosion resistance Cu/Ni-P coatings were electrodeposited on AZ91D magnesium alloy via suitable pretreatments, such as one-step acid pickling-activation, once zinc immersion and environment-friendly electroplated copper as the protective under-layer, which made Ni-P deposit on AZ91D Mg alloy in acid plating baths successfully. The pH value and current density for Ni-P electrodeposition were optimized to obtain high corrosion resistance. With increasing the phosphorous content of the Ni-P coatings, the deposits were found to gradually transform to amorphous structure and the corrosion resistance increased synchronously. The anticorrosion ability of AZ91D Mg alloy was greatly improved by the amorphous Ni-P deposits, which was investigated by potentiodynamic polarization curve and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The corrosion current density (I_corr) of the coated Mg alloy substrate is about two orders of magnitude less than that of the uncoated.     

The corrosion properties of phosphate coating on AZ31 magnesium alloy: The effect of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as an eco-friendly accelerating agent

Sodium nitrite has been used as an accelerating agent in phosphating bath to improve its properties. However, it is well known that sodium nitrite is a carcinogenic component in phosphating sludge. In this study, it has been aimed to replace sodium nitrite by an environmentally friendly accelerating agent. To this end, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was used in phosphating bath to improve the phosphate coating formation on an AZ31 magnesium alloy. The effect of SDS/sodium nitrite ratio on the phosphated samples properties was also studied. Using field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), direct current (DC) polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) the properties of phosphated magnesium samples were studied.Results showed uniform phosphate coating formation on the magnesium sample mostly in hopeite phase composition. In addition, a denser and less permeable coating can be obtained at these conditions. The corrosion resistance of the phosphated samples was superiorly improved using higher SDS concentration in the phosphating bath.     

A novel process for electroless nickel plating on anodized magnesium alloy

In this paper, a novel palladium-free activation electroless nickel (EN) plating process, by which a TiB₂ powders contained intermediate film was used as catalyst, was introduced for anodized magnesium alloy AZ91D. The corrosion behavior of AZ91D without and with coating was compared and the bonding strength of the EN plating to the substrate was also measured. The results showed that the EN plating could easily take place on the intermediate catalytic layer, directly on which a smooth and compact Ni–P alloy layer without obvious flaws, about 20 μm thickness, was successfully deposited. The catalytic function was principally from TiB₂ powder. The adhesive tensile test indicated a good bonding strength of about 11 MPa between the substrate and the catalytic layer. An obvious passivation range and higher E_corr (−0.323 V) for the EN plating during anodic polarization in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution, implied a typical character of a compact Ni–P alloy layer, with an effective protection for the substrate.     

Study of molybdenum/lanthanum-based composite conversion coatings on AZ31 magnesium alloy

The molybdenum/lanthanum-based (Mo/La) composite conversion coating on AZ31 magnesium alloy was investigated and the corrosion resistance was evaluated as well. The morphology, composition and corrosion resistance of the coating were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and potentiodynamic polarization analysis, respectively. The results revealed that the conversion coating consisted of spherical nodular particles, which was mainly composed of Mo, La, O and Mg. After conversion treatment the corrosion potential shifts about 500 mV positively, and the corrosion current density decreases two orders of magnitude. The corrosion resistance of AZ31 alloy is remarkably improved by Mo/La composite conversion coating.     

Chemical nature of phytic acid conversion coating on AZ61 magnesium alloy

Phytic acid (PA) conversion coating on AZ61 magnesium alloy was prepared by the method of deposition. The influences of pH, time and PA concentration on the formation process, microstructure and properties of the conversion coating were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe the microstructure. The chemical nature of conversion coating was investigated by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques. The corrosion resistance was examined by means of potentiodynamic polarization method. The adhesive ability was tested by score experiments. The results showed that the growth and microstructure of the conversion coatings were all obviously affected by pH, time and PA concentration. In 0.5 mg/ml PA solution with a pH of 5, an optimization conversion coating formed after 20 min immersion time by deposition of PA on AZ61 magnesium alloy surface through chelating with Al³⁺. It made the corrosion potential E_corr of sample shifted positively about 171 mV than that of the untreated sample, and the adhesive ability reached to Grade 1 (in accordance with GB/T 9286).     

A novel process of electroless Ni-P plating with plasma electrolytic oxidation pretreatment

A novel Ni based coating - plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) pre-treatment followed by electroless nickel (EN) plating - has been developed to produce pore free Ni coatings on AZ91 magnesium alloy. The application of the PEO film between the nickel coating and the substrate acts as an effective barrier and catalytic layer for the subsequent nickel plating. The potentiodynamic tests indicated that the corrosion current density of the PEO + EN plating on AZ91 decreased by almost two orders of magnitudes compared to the traditional EN coating. Salt fog spray testing further proved this improvement. More importantly, the new technique does not use Cr⁺⁶ and HF in its pretreatment, therefore is a much environmentally friendlier process.     

Characterization of ceramic PVD thin films on AZ31 magnesium alloys

Ceramic thin films have been widely used to protect the metal substrate as coatings in the past years. In order to improve the poor corrosion resistance of AZ31 magnesium alloy, the study in this paper used the electron beam evaporation method to prepare ceramic PVD films on its surface with TiO₂ and Al₂O₃ as donors, respectively. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to investigate the surface morphology, composition and microstructure of the thin films. Both films deposited on AZ31 took on compact top surface morphologies and grew as amorphous structures on substrate. AES test not only showed that films compositions deviated the standard stoichiometric ratios, but also found that element Mg diffused into films and existed as magnesium oxide in the TiO_x film as well as the AlO_x film. In the electrochemical corrosion test, the AlO_x coating on AZ31 exhibited the largest electrochemical impedance in a 3.5% NaCl solution. But it did not show better corrosion resistance than others for the poorer adhesion. Even if its thickness was small, the TiO_x coating on AZ31 exhibited the best corrosion resistance in this study. According to the observation and analysis, the damage of these films on AZ31 in aggressive solutions was mainly due to the existence of pores, microcracks, vacancies and poor adhesion between coating and substrate.     

Preparation and properties of super-hydrophobic coating on magnesium alloy

The super-hydrophobic coating was successfully fabricated on the surface of magnesium alloy AZ31 by chemical etching and surface modification. The surface morphologies, compositions, wettability and corrosion resistance of the coating were investigated with SEM, XPS, contact angle measurement and electrochemical method, respectively. It shows that the rough and porous micro-nano-structure was presented on the surface of magnesium alloy, and the contact angle could reach up to 157.3 ± 0.5° with sliding angle smaller than 10°. The super-hydrophobic coating showed a long service life. The results of electrochemical measurements showed that anticorrosion property of magnesium alloy was improved. The super-hydrophobic phenomenon of the prepared surface was analyzed with Cassie theory, and it finds that only about 10% of the water surface is contacted with the metal substrate and the rest 90% is contacted with the air cushion.     

Investigation of plasma electrolytic oxidation process on AZ91D magnesium alloy

Ceramic coatings oxidized for different time periods were prepared to characterize the plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) process of AZ91D magnesium alloy. The coatings were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscope and potentiodynamic polarization measurement. The results show that the PEO coatings perform different growth behaviors at different PEO stages, and different morphologies are exhibited on α- and β-phase of Mg substrate. The corrosion resistance measurement predicates that within the first 30 min oxidation, coating oxidized for 20 min is the best corrosion resistant.