Fabrication and characterization of micro-arc oxidation (MAO) coatings on Mg-Li alloy in alkaline polyphosphate electrolytes without and with the addition of K2TiF6

Micro-arc oxidation (MAO) has been accomplished on Mg-Li alloy in alkaline polyphosphate electrolytes without and with the addition of 10?g/L?K2TiF6. The surface/cross-section microstructures of the fabricated coatings were analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM); the compositions of the fabricated MAO coatings were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX); the corrosion behaviors of bare and MAO coated Mg-Li alloys were evaluated using potentiodynamic polarization (PDP) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in 3.5?wt% NaCl solution. Novel hybrid MAO coatings which showed hybrid composition of MgF2/Ti2O5/Ti6O11/MgO, as well as hybrid structure of a dense inner layer, a dense outer layer and an intermediate layer with some sealed/semi-sealed pores, had been fabricated on Mg-Li alloy in alkaline polyphosphate electrolytes with the addition of K2TiF6. Meanwhile, the corrosion resistance of the fabricated MAO coatings was improved obviously as the result of the addition of K2TiF6 in the electrolytes. Moreover, the multiple roles of ${\rm TiF}_{{\rm 6}}boolean AND{{\rm 2}{-} } $ on the MAO process accounted for the fabrication of the corrosion-resistant hybrid MAO coatings.