Towards developing Mg alloys with simultaneously improved strength and corrosion resistance via RE alloying

Magnesium (Mg) alloys have received an increasing interest in the past two decades for their tremendous application potential. The strength and corrosion resistance levels of common Mg alloys are still relativity low, and especially they are to be improved simultaneously. The addition of rare earth (RE) to Mg alloys is believed to be beneficial for both the strength and corrosion resistance, and some RE-modified traditional Mg alloys have been studied and some new RE-containing Mg alloys have been developed by now. However, further simultaneous improvements in both strength and anti-corrosion require a better understanding of the behavior and mechanism of RE in Mg alloys. In this review, the common influence mechanisms of RE on mechanical and anti-corrosion properties of Mg alloys are summarized, and the latest research progress of RE-containing Mg alloys with simultaneously improved strength and corrosion resistance are introduced. It is demonstrated that the research on high-strength and high corrosion resistant RE-containing Mg alloys is still immature, and some opinions and suggestions are put forward for the synergetic improvement of the strength and corrosion resistance of Mg alloys, so as to contribute to the further development of Mg alloys with higher performance.