Effect of alternating voltage treatment on the microstructure and corrosion resistance of stannate conversion coating on AZ91D alloy

A new stannate conversion coating (CC) on AZ91D alloy was synthesized by the application of alternative voltage (AV) treatment technique. By using AV technique, the formation process of CC can be controlled. SEM results indicated that a continuous and compact dual-layer CC was formed on alloy surface after AV treatment. TEM results revealed that the inner layer consists of magnesium–aluminum–stannum nano-crystals and amorphous, meanwhile, the outer layer is primarily a mixture of magnesium–stannum hydroxides and oxides with amorphous structure. The electrochemical experimental results revealed that AV treatment significantly improved the corrosion resistance of CC, which attributed to the distinguishing microstructure of AV-CC.