Hydrothermal synthesis and corrosion behavior of the protective coating on Mg-2Zn-Mn-Ca-Ce alloy

Protective coatings were synthesized on the Mg-2Zn-Mn-Ca-Ce Mg alloy through the hydrothermal method with de-ionized water as the reagent. The coatings were composed of Mg hydroxide, generally uniform and compact. Hydrogen evolution tests and electrochemical tests in the Hanks' solution demonstrated that the Mg(OH)2 coatings effectively decreased the bio-degradation rate of the Mg alloy substrate. Microstructure observation showed that the coating formation on the secondary phases was more difficult than that on the α-Mg matrix, which led to micro cracks and pores on the secondary phases after drying. Over synthesizing time, the coating layer on secondary phases gradually becomes more compact and uniform. Meanwhile, owing to the thicker and more compact coatings, the corrosion resistance and protective efficiency were significantly improved with longer synthesizing time as well.