Electrodeposition of aluminum (Al) on magnesium (Mg) alloy in ionic liquid

To improve the corrosion resistance of magnesium (Mg) alloys, surface modification is applied in an attempt to produce a corrosion resistant barrier. In this chapter, a new method to deposit aluminum (Al) film on an Mg alloy surface is demonstrated. Electrodeposition of A1 on AZ91D Mg alloy, using an acidic aluminum chloride-1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ionic liquid (AlCl₃-EMIC), has been shown to be feasible. The existence of Al coating can cause a substantial increase in corrosion resistance, reducing the susceptibility of Mg alloy to aqueous corrosion. The results of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy show that Al coating leads to an increase in the polarization resistance of a bare Mg alloy by one order of magnitude in 3.5wt% NaCl solution. Furthermore, the potentiodynamic polarization results show that Al-coated Mg alloy can be passivated, and a wider passive region with a lower passive current density can be obtained if the Al is electrodeposited at a lower applied current or a low cathodic overpotential. The passivity of the co-deposited Al/Zn film is slightly inferior to that of the pure Al coating.