Effect of Sn Addition on Microstructure and Corrosion Behavior of As-Extruded Mg–5Zn–4Al Alloy

Abstract

The effect of Sn addition on the microstructure and corrosion behavior of extruded Mg–5Zn–4Al–xSn (0, 0.5, 1, 2, and 3 wt %) alloys was investigated by optical microscopy (OM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), electrochemical measurements, and immersion tests. Microstructural results showed that the average grain size decreased to some degree and the amount of precipitates increased with the increasing amount of Sn. The extruded Mg–5Zn–4Al–xSn alloy mainly consisted of α-Mg, Mg32(Al,Zn)49, and Mg2Sn phases as the content of Sn was above 1 wt %. Electrochemical measurements indicated that the extruded Mg–5Zn–4Al–1Sn (ZAT541) alloy presented the best corrosion performances, with corrosion potential (Ecorr) and corrosion current density (Icorr) values of −1.3309 V and 6.707 × 10−6 A·cm−2, respectively. Furthermore, the corrosion mechanism of Sn is discussed in detail.