Effect of Surface Nanocrystallization on Corrosion Resistance of the Conformed Cu-0.4%Mg Alloy in NaCl Solution

Surface nano-crystallization (SNC) of a conform-extruded Cu-0.4 wt.% Mg alloy was successfully conducted by high-speed rotating wire-brushing to obtain the deformed zone with dislocation cells and nanocrystallines. SNC promotes the anodic dissolution and corrosion rate of the Cu-Mg alloy in the initial stage of immersion corrosion in 0.1 M NaCl solution. The weakened corrosion resistance is mainly attributed to the higher corrosion activity of SNC-treated alloy. With extending the immersion time, the SNC-treated alloy slows the corrosion rate dramatically and exhibits uniform dissolution of the surface. The formation of the dense corrosion products leads to the improvement of overall corrosion performance. It indicates that the SNC-treated Cu-Mg alloy can function reliably for a longer duration in a corrosive environment.