Laser cladding of Al + Ir powders on ZM5 magnesium base alloy

Laser cladding of preplaced Al + Ir powders on a ZM5 magnesium alloy was performed to enhance the corrosion resistance of the ZM5 magnesium alloy. A metallurgical bond was obtained at the coating/substrate interface. The corrosion potential (Ecorr) of the laser cladded sample was 169 mV positive to that of the untreated ZM5 substrate, while the corrosion current (Icorr) was some one order of magnitude lower. The laser cladded sample, unlike the untreated ZM5 substrate, showed a passive region in the polarization plot. Immersion tests confirmed that the corrosion resistance of the laser cladded ZM5 sample was significantly enhanced in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution. The Al-rich phases of AlIr, Mg17Al12, and Al formed in the cladding layer and the rapid solid characteristics were contributed to the improved corrosion behavior of the coating.