Formation process of micro arc oxidation coatings obtained in a sodium phytate containing solution with and without CaCO3 on binary Mg-1.0Ca alloy

Micro arc oxidation (MAO) is an effective method to improve the corrosion resistance of magnesium alloys. In order to reveal the influence of alloying element Ca and CaCO3 electrolyte on the formation process and chemical compositions of MAO coatings on binary Mg-1.0Ca alloy, anodic coatings after different anodizing times were prepared on binary Mg-1.0Ca alloy in a base solution containing 3 g/L sodium hydroxide and 15 g/L sodium phytate with and without addition of CaCO3. The coating formation was studied by using scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results show that Mg-1.0Ca alloy is composed of two phases, the Mg phase and Mg2Ca phase. After treating for 5 s, the coating began to develop and was preferentially formed on the area nearby Mg2Ca phase, which may be resulted from the intrinsic electronegative potential of the Mg phase than that of Mg2Ca phase. Anodic coatings unevenly covered the total surface after 20 s. After 80 s, the coatings were uniformly developed on Mg-1.0Ca alloy with micro pores. During MAO process, some sodium phytate molecules are hydrolyzed into inorganic phosphate. CaCO3 has minor influence on the calcium content of the obtained MAO coatings.