Characterization and wear resistance of macro-arc oxidation coating on magnesium alloy AZ91 in simulated body fluids

The mechanical characteristics of the macro-arc oxidation (MAO) coating on Mg alloy AZ91 were examined by means of nano scratch tester. The corrosion and erosion corrosion behavior of AZ91 with and without MAO coating were investigated by using potentiodynamic electrochemical technique and micro-abrasion tribometer in simulated body fluids, respectively. The influence of HCO3− ions on the erosion corrosion was discussed. The results show that the coating and its substrate are in a pronounced bond. The MAO coating increases 1–2 orders of magnitude of the corrosion resistance of AZ91 alloy. HCO3− ions enhance the corrosion rates of the AZ91 alloys more significantly than the alloys with MAO coating. However, there exists an obvious passivation process of AZ91 without coating in the HCO3− solutions. Moreover, an MgCO3 film formed in HCO3− containing solutions leads to an enhancement in micro-wear resistance. MAO coating deteriorates the erosion corrosion resistance of AZ91 alloy due to the formation of oxidation debris resulted from the broken MAO coating.