Influence of Electrolyte Chemistry on Morphology and Corrosion Resistance of Micro Arc Oxidation Coatings Deposited on Magnesium

In the present work, micro arc oxidation (MAO) coatings were synthesized on magnesium substrate employing 11 different electrolyte compositions containing systematically varied concentrations of sodium silicate (Na2SiO3), potassium hydroxide (KOH), and sodium aluminate (NaAlO2). The resultant coatings were subjected to coating thickness measurement, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), image analysis, and three-dimensional (3-D) optical profilometry. The corrosion performance of the coatings was evaluated by conducting potentiodynamic polarization tests in 3.5 wt pct NaCl solution. The inter-relationships between the electrolyte chemistry and the resulting chemistry and porosity of the coating, on one hand, and with the aqueous corrosion behavior of the coating, on the other, were studied. The changes in pore morphology and pore distribution in the coatings were found to be significantly influenced by the electrolyte composition. The coatings can have either through-thickness pores or pores in the near surface region alone depending on the electrolyte composition. The deleterious role of KOH especially when its concentration is > 20 pct of total electrolyte constituents promoting the formation of large and deep pores in the coating was demonstrated. A reasonable correlation indicating the increasing pore volume implying the increased corrosion was noticed.