A Study on the Corrosion Behavior of Magnesium Alloy Sealed with Chemical Conversion Coating and Sol-gel Coating

Magnesium alloy is limited in the industrial field because its standard electrode potential is -2.363 V vs. NHE (Normal Hydrogen Electrode) at 25 degrees C. This high electrochemical activity causes magnesium to quickly corrode with oxygen in air; chemical conversion coating prevents corrosion but causes surface defects like cracks and pores. We have examined the anti-corrosion effect of sol-gel coating sealed on the defected conversion coating layer. Sol-gel coatings produced higher voltage current and smaller pore than the chemical conversion coating layer. The conversion coating on magnesium alloy AZ31 was prepared using phosphate-permanganate solution. The sol-gel coating was designed using trimethoxymethylsilane (MTMS) and (3-Glycidyloxypropyl) trimethoxysilane (GPTMS) as precursors, and aluminum acetylacetonate as a ring-opening agent. The thermal shock resistance was tested by exposing specimens at 140 degrees C in a convection oven; the results showed changes in the magnesium alloy AZ31 surface, such as oxidization and cracking. Scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) analysis confirmed a sealed sol-gel coating layer on magnesium alloy AZ31. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measured the differences in corrosion protection properties by sol-gel and conversion coatings in 0.35 wt% NaCl solution, and the potentiodynamic polarization test and confirmed conversion coating with the sol-gel coating show significantly improved resistance by crack sealing.