Effect of fluoride ion concentration on the corrosion behaviour of WE43 alloy in artificial saliva for dental applications

The corrosion behaviour of WE43 alloy in artificial saliva containing different fluoride ion concentrations were investigated in association with microstructural evolution. The WE43 alloy with an average grain size of 10–30 µm was mainly composed of α-Mg matrix and some RE-containing precipitates. The results of electrochemical corrosion and immersion corrosion tests indicated that the corrosion behaviour of WE43 alloy was continuously deteriorated with increasing F- concentration. This deterioration was attributed to the undesirable alterations in thickness, surface morphology and phase constitution of the corrosion products layer with the presence of F-, which damaged its corrosion protection effect in some degree.