Evaluation of the anti-corrosive effect of acid pickling and sol–gel coating on magnesium AZ31 alloy

The effect of different acid pre-treatment procedures on the corrosion of magnesium AZ31 alloy was compared by measuring the amount of hydrogen gas formed when the surface was in contact with aqueous 5% sodium chloride solution. A 4–7 μm thick sol–gel coating prepared by phosphoric acid catalyzed sol–gel processing of a methyltriethoxysilane/tetraethoxysilane mixture was applied to the differently pre-treated magnesium surfaces. The corrosion rate of the alloy decreased by a factor of up to 60 by combination of acid pickling and sol–gel coating. The addition of triethylphosphate or 1,2,4-triazole as corrosion inhibitors led to further improvements. Composition and texture of the films was investigated by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis.