Corrosion resistance properties of AZ31 magnesium alloy after Ti ion implantation

Magnesium alloys have a wide range of applications in industry; however, their corrosion resistance, wear resistance, and hardness are rather poor, which limit their applications. Ti ion was implanted into the AZ31 magnesium alloy surface by metal vapor vacuum arc (MEVVA) implanter. This metal arc ion source has a broad beam and high current capabilities. The implantation energy was fixed at 45 keV and the dose was at 9 × 1017 cm−2. Through ion implantation. Ti ion implantation layer with approximately 900 nm in thickness was directly formed on the surface of AZ31 magnesium alloy, by which its surface property greatly improved. The chemical states of some typical elements of the ion implantation layer were analyzed by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), while the cross sectional morphology of the ion implantation layer and the phase structure were observed by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The property of corrosion resistance of the Ti ion implanted layer was studied by the CS300P electrochemistry corrosion workstation in 3.5% NaCl solution. The results showed that the property of corrosion resistance was enhanced remarkably, while the corrosion velocity was obviously slowed down.