The solute cerium to enhance corrosion resistance of magnesium anode in 3.5% NaCl solution.

The effects of solute cerium (Ce) on the electrochemical performance of magnesium (Mg) alloy anodes are investigated by the weight loss test, electrochemical measurement, and surface analysis methods. It is found that the added Ce with the content of 0.174 wt.% enhances the corrosion resistance of Mg in seawater through forming the compact corrosion products layer and reducing the grain size of Mg alloys. Moreover, Mg-Ce alloys were applied in Mg-seawater batteries, which obtained a high energy density of 627.53 mWh g⁻¹ with an anode efficiency of 43.49%, around 11 times than that of casting pure Mg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]