Magnesium is a widely-used alloy in the production of various automotive parts such as steering wheels, cylinder head covers and transmission cases. Due to its excellent corrosion resistance and lustrous appearance, magnesium has become an ideal choice for these applications.
Due to magnesium’s susceptibility to corrosion, effective coatings are necessary to shield these parts from external factors and prevent rusting or other damages. Thanks to advances in surface coating technology, engineers are now able to fully utilize the potential of magnesium plating by effectively shielding them against corrosion.
Magnesium Alloys
Magnesium alloys are widely used in engineering applications such as automotive, aerospace, electronics and biomedical. Not only are they up to 70% lighter than stainless steel but they’re also easy to work with – ideal for projects involving precision control!
Although magnesium is corrosion resistant, it does not offer complete protection in chloride-containing solutions. Therefore, various coating systems have been developed for magnesium alloys to increase their corrosion resistance.
Unfortunately, most of these coatings are toxic and costly, as well as complex to apply in multiple steps.
Cirrus has developed an innovative PEO process that coats magnesium alloys with densified nitride, improving their corrosion resistance and drastically cutting down on energy consumption.
PEO-treated AZ80 magnesium alloys exhibit much lower corrosion potentials than untreated ones due to the densified nitride coating, which acts as a shield against chloride ions’ corrosion effects.
Corrosion Resistance
Corrosion is the process by which metals lose electrons and transform into oxides, hydroxides or sulphides when exposed to water, chemicals or other corrosives agents. Since magnesium belongs to Group II elements with only two electrons in its outermost shell, it’s especially vulnerable to corrosion under normal environmental conditions.
Magnesium alloys are protected against corrosion in the environment with various corrosion protection techniques. These include surface coatings and other anti-corrosion processes.
Magnesium plating is a technique in which magnesium alloys are coated with an alloy or noble material to prevent electron loss during corrosion and enhance corrosion resistance. Different methods can be employed for applying magnesium plating on magnesium alloys, including electrochemical, chemical conversion and organic coatings.
This study examined the corrosion resistance of AZ31 magnesium alloy when coated with graphene-modified oily epoxy resin (G/OEP). Results demonstrated that this coating significantly improved corrosion resistance of magnesium alloys, with a reduced corrosion current density to 6.96 x 10-12 A/cm2.
Durability
Magnesium is a lightweight metal with an impressive strength-to-weight ratio, making it suitable for industrial uses. Unfortunately, due to its natural tendency to oxidize when exposed to air and water, magnesium becomes vulnerable to corrosion over time.
To address this problem, surface coating technology has been developed that shields magnesium components from corrosion and wear. This allows magnesium to be utilized more industrially, enabling engineers to achieve lightweighting strategies that increase strength and stiffness while still preserving the metal’s unique performance characteristics.
Magnesium can be plated using various methods, such as electrochemical or immersion plating. During this step, various alloying elements are added to magnesium metal in order to increase its corrosion resistance.
Lightweight
Magnesium is one of the lightest structural materials, making it an ideal choice for aircrafts and vehicles. Not only that, but magnesium also boasts superior strength and stiffness compared to steel or aluminum – which are important factors when working with heavy loads.
Magnesium alloys are often employed as biomedical implants due to their physiological compatibility and bioresorbable qualities. Furthermore, magnesium has excellent electromagnetic interference shielding capabilities – an invaluable asset when it comes to medical equipment.
Magnesium is an invaluable metal used in industries such as aerospace, defense and the automotive sector due to its numerous beneficial characteristics. These include high specific strength, machinability and vibration-absorption properties.
Magnesium Alloys and Corrosion Resistance
