Preparation and performance study of corrosion-resistant surfaces of magnesium alloys

Magnesium alloy has good application prospects in high-precision industries such as electronics and aerospace due to its low density, high stiffness, and excellent properties. However, the poor corrosion resistance of magnesium alloy limits its wide application. In this study, a corrosion-resistant protective coating of magnesium hydroxide doped with nano-silica was grown in situ on a magnesium alloy substrate by the hydrothermal method. The morphology, composition, structure, and corrosion resistance of the coating were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, FTIR, XRD, and electrochemical processes, respectively. The results showed that the prepared coating had good corrosion resistance, as the corrosion current of the magnesium alloy was reduced by about four orders of magnitude for the bare magnesium alloy substrate.