A novel approach to improve corrosion resistance of Mg alloy by co-extrusion

Abstract In this study, Mg/Al composite rod with a thin 6082 aluminum alloy coated AZ31 magnesium alloy was successfully prepared by co-extrusion. Microstructure and texture of the extruded Mg/Al rod were systemically studied. A comparative study about electrochemical behavior of the Mg core and the Al sleeve was also addressed. Our results show that, co-extrusion can greatly refine grains of Mg alloy, but does not change the texture component. The 6082 sleeve exhibits a much better corrosion resistance than the AZ31 core. This study provided a novel approach to improve corrosion resistance of Mg alloy. The Al sleeve served as a barrier to protect the Mg alloy from corrosion.