Active corrosion protection by a smart coating based on a MgAl-layered double hydroxide on a cerium-modified plasma electrolytic oxidation coating on Mg alloy AZ31

A composite coating was produced via (i) plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) with Ce salt sealing, on which layered double hydroxides (LDHs) were deposited via a hydrothermal treatment, and (ii) then modified by phytic acid (PA) via an ion-exchange reaction. The final coating (characterized using XRD, XPS, FT-IR, SEM, EDS and GDOES) consisted of LDHs/Mg(OH)2/CeO2/Ce(OH)3 with a non-uniform Ce distribution. The corrosion protection and self-healing ability were investigated using polarization curves, EIS, immersion tests and SVET. The composite coating modified with PA showed the most superior corrosion protection and self-healing ability, attributed to the synergistic effect between Ce species and phosphate.