Corrosion evaluation of novel magnesium alloys prepared by magnetron sputtering

Despite the low density of magnesium, its widespread implementation is hindered by its relatively poor corrosion resistance. The objective of this work is to produce corrosion resistant magnesium alloys through the nonequilibrium technique of magnetron sputtering. While all of the alloys are lustrous, surface morphology is observed under the SEM. The corrosion rate of the sputtered alloys, as determined by polarization resistance, is significantly reduced compared to commercial magnesium alloys. Passivity in the polarization curve is obtained through enrichment of the alloying elements on the surface of the alloy. The significance of the results includes the acquisition of electrochemical data for these novel materials, as well as expanding the utilization of magnesium alloys by the improvement in their corrosion resistance.