Structural Study of Magnesium Coatings on Copper Substrates, by Pack Cementation

In this work the feasibility of depositing magnesium coatings, on copper substrates is investigated. The deposition was accomplished by pack cementation process and the experiments were undertaken at 500 degrees C, 550 degrees C and 600 degrees C for different deposition times. The purpose of these experiments was also to investigate the effect of deposition temperature on the morphology and the structure of the as-formed coatings. The characterization was performed with a SEM microscopy and XRD analysis. It was revealed that the as formed coatings mainly contain two phases corresponding to CuMg2 and MgCu2. Furthermore, the coating thickness and morphology was significantly affected by temperature and time.