Application of electric arc deposition of aluminum and superhydrophobization to protect magnesium alloys against corrosion

The use of magnesium and its alloys is limited due to their low corrosion resistance. In real-world conditions, it is therefore necessary to modify the surface properties of magnesium alloy products in order to prevent or significantly slow down destructive corrosion processes. This paper proposes an approach for creating anti-corrosion coatings on magnesium alloys through the use of electric arc deposition of aluminum layer on alloy surface, laser processing of this layer, followed by chemisorption of a hydrophobic agent. The resulting coating, created using this method, is superhydrophobic and has a high level of resistance to corrosion under contact with corrosive media. Long-term studies on the coating's water resistance, salt spray resistance, and immersion in a chloride-containing solution have shown that the coating has a very high chemical resistance and retains its extremely high anti-corrosive properties even after continuous contact with saline solution for two months. The effectiveness of corrosion protection provided by the developed coatings can be explained by the superhydrophobic state of their surface and the greater chemical inertness of aluminum oxide compared to magnesium oxides and hydroxides.

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