Effects of magnetic field and rare earth addition on corrosion behavior of Al-3.0Â wt% Mg alloy

•The effects of magnetic field on corrosion behavior of AlMgRE alloy are discussed.•The influences of RE content on corrosion behavior of AlMg alloy are studied.•Magnetic field has different effects on C.B. of the alloys with different RE content.•The alloy with 0.12% RE addition had the best anti-corrosion resistance.

Effect of magnetic field and rare earth on the corrosion behavior of Al-3.0 wt%Mg alloy in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution was investigated by immersion test and electrochemical measurement. The results indicated that a horizontal magnetic field would increase the corrosion potential (Ecorr), impede the growth of pitting holes and reduce the corrosion current density icorr and corrosion rate of Al-3.0 wt%Mg-xRE alloys. Proper content of RE would increase the corrosion resistance of Al-3.0 wt%Mg alloys. Excessive RE would enhance the effect of magnetic field on the pitting corrosion sensibility and increased the corrosion rate of Al-3.0 wt%Mg alloys due to the increase of the number and the size of the second phases.