Influence of plasma electrolytic oxidation coating on corrosion characteristics of friction stir welded ZE41 rare earth magnesium alloy

Abstract Magnesium and its alloys are extensively used in the defence, aerospace and automotive industries, owing to their excellent mechanical properties. But there is a requirement of corrosion prevention treatment before using it for applications, since the corrosion resistance of Mg alloy is poor. In this work, a study on the mechanical properties of friction stir welded ZE41 rare earth magnesium alloy thick plates of 15 mm and 25 mm, was carried out. A metallographic examination and mechanical tests were conducted on both the welds. Furthermore, Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation (PEO), a surface conversion treatment was carried out on both the base material as well as on the friction stir butt joints. X-Ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy analysis were carried out on all the samples, with and without coating. The coated and uncoated samples were assessed by potentiodynamic polarisation (PDP) tests and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) to study the electrochemical corrosion behaviour. An outer porous layer and an inner dense layer, have been identified from the SEM images. From the corrosion tests results it was revealed that there was an improvement in the corrosion resistance of both the base metal as well as the weldments by the PEO coating process.