Study on the corrosion residual strength of the 1.0 wt.% Ce modified AZ91 magnesium alloy

The effect of corrosion on the tensile behaviour of the 1.0 wt.% Ce modified AZ91 magnesium alloy was investigated by the immersion of the test bar in 3.5 wt.% NaCl aqueous solution for 0, 12,40, 108, 204, 372 and 468 h with the subsequent tensile tests in this paper. The fractography was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. The results show that pitting corrosion should be responsible for the drop of the corrosion residual strength within the testing time. The depth of the corrosion pits was statistically and quantitatively obtained by an optical microscopy and the maximal value was recorded as the extreme depth of the corrosion pit. Furthermore, the corrosion residual strength is linearly dependent on the extreme depth of the corrosion pit, which can be attributed to the loss of cross-sectional area and the emergence of stress concentration caused by the initiation and development of corrosion pits. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.