Effect of cerium additive on aluminum-based chemical conversion coating on AZ91D magnesium alloy

Based on environmentally friendly and recycling of magnesium alloys, chemical conversion coatings were prepared in aluminum nitrate solutions with cerium nitrate additive on AZ91D magnesium alloys surfaces. Effect of additive's concentration on the surface morphology, composition and corrosion resistance of aluminum-based conversion coating on magnesium alloys was studied. The surface morphology, composition, microstructure and corrosion resistance of conversion coatings were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray energy dispersion spectrometry (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and electrochemical tests respectively. The results show that the cerium content of the conversion coatings surface increased with increasing additive concentration. The conversion coatings' morphologies first gradually became dense and the micro-cracks on the coating surface became narrow with the increase of the additive concentration. Then the coatings' morphologies became bad and the micro-cracks widened after the additive concentration reached 0.005 mol/L. When the additive concentration was 0.005 mol/L, the conversion coating consists of Al(OH)3, Al2O3, Mg(OH)2, MgO, CeO2 and Ce2O3; the conversion coating surface morphology was the densest and the micro-cracks were the narrowest, and the corrosion resistance was also the best.