Enhancement of resistance to galvanic corrosion of ZE41 Mg alloy by equal channel angular pressing

The galvanic corrosion behavior of as-received and ECAPed ZE41 Mg alloy coupled with Al7075 alloy is investigated using zero resistance ammeter in three different corrosive environments, 0, 0.1, and 1 M NaCl, to mimic the conditions experienced in engineering applications. The mechanism of galvanic corrosion for the ZE41 Mg-Al7075 aluminum alloy is explained. It is observed that a robust surface film containing a composite layer of oxide/hydroxide of magnesium and aluminum is established in deionized water (0 M). However, only a single layer of magnesium oxide/hydroxide is detected in chloride-containing environments. Equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) improved the resistance to galvanic corrosion by 58% and 54% when compared with the as-cast counterparts in 0 and 1 M NaCl solution, respectively. In contrast, galvanic corrosion resistance decreased by 26% in 0.1 M NaCl after ECAP while the as-received samples evinced pits unfavorable to be used in engineering applications. ECAP is a promising method to combat galvanic corrosion encountered by ZE41 magnesium alloy used in automobiles and components of military vehicles.